It's Approaching...

I enrolled Kylee in summer school last night. She is so excited for kindergarten she can hardly stand it.

I asked her if she wanted to go to summer school. She didn't hesitate a moment when she said "Yes!". I then explained that summer school is different from "normal school" and if she decided at some point to skip a day here and there, it would be okay. She looked at me and said "Mom, I want to go to summer school ALL DAY....EVERY DAY." I smiled. My heart sunk a little.

One of the blessings in the way that our children have been spaced out is that I have enjoyed time with each of them individually....Connor before Kylee was born, and Kylee when Connor started kindergarten. She and I have settled into our own little routine on the days she doesn't have preschool. She putters, draws, "cleans", dances, changes clothes 2 or 3 times a day...and then requests a butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Then, she putters some more, occasionally breaking to show me her latest masterpiece or inviting me to play a game with her. She is very independent, so our interactions are very parallel in nature...but her little noises throughout the house bring me joy. These days, I have spent some time thinking about how different the house will be next year when she's gone.

I am going to miss her.

But she is so ready. Her thirst for knowledge and desire for perfection in writing her letters and numbers is incredible. Her passion overflows as she tries to decipher words or convince me that she knows Spanish (which usually means adding an accent when you say a word in English). I know she will do incredibly well in kindergarten.

Of course, being Kylee, she wants to ride the bus to school. The vision of putting her on the yellow beast and watching its tailights as it drives away creates a huge lump in my throat. But I know our big girl will be bouncing in her seat...anticipating going to the "big school".

Oh, Miss J...where did the last 5 years go?

I will be the one poised on the edge of the curb in the afternoon, standing on my tiptoes to see the bus come around the curve as it brings both of our kiddos back home each day. With Kylee, I know there will be stories of great adventure to share.

I will treasure each one of them.