The Big Day, Part 1

The biggest hurdle of the Big Day is over: Katie is on the bus, headed for new adventures and excitement. And the good news is I didn't cry! (More on that in a moment.)

I woke Katie and her first words to me were, "Good night's sleep." Ever since Kindergarten orientation, she's been following a calendar the school handed out to get the kids ready for school. The calendar has a new task for them each day, like "Write your name 3 times using only 1 capital letter" or "Count all the doors in your house" or "Find 5 green things." Yesterday's task was "Get a good night's sleep." So when she woke this morning, she was telling me that she did her job. Her next words were to ask me to cuddle with her. I did, and told her I'd only cuddle for two minutes, until the clock said 7:15. She said we should cuddle for only one minute, until the clock said 7:14, so she could get up and get ready for school. I was so glad to hear her excitement!

After dressing in her "new" outfit (the same one I blogged about in May), we went to brush her hair. I put it up the way she likes it ("A half ponytail, Mommy.") and put a red bow in her hair. Then I asked if she'd like the navy blue bow better, and she said no. "I want to wear the red one because it's your favorite color, Mommy."
Katie ate her breakfast, then we cuddled in the LoveSac until she saw our neighbor walking to the bus stop. "Aaack! Mommy! Let's go, let's go!" Jump up, get shoes and backpack on, and out the door we ran, to hang out at the bus stop and wait. And wait. And wait. The kids even sat down in the road in the order they would board the bus. Funny kids.
Then, "I have to go potty." Of course. Just like her mommy to have an I'm-nervous-so-I-gotta-go-potty bladder. And, of course, the bus started down the street just a minute after she went in the Sheryl's house to potty! So I ran in and got her and we ran out and quick-put-your-backpack-on and then STOP! Give me a hug! Then one quick photo, and that was it. That was it.

She waved goodbye, rode off into the distance, and I watched and waved back. No tears, no sobbing. Just, "Hmmm. I guess that's it." Dan and I held hands and walked back home. Then we had a little spat once inside the house. (Yes, I know the psychological meaning behind all that: I'm emotionally unstable watching Katie leave, so I strike out at someone else. Blah, blah, blah. That's not what this was about. I promise.)

I decided to get myself a treat for breakfast and headed out to McDonald's for a biscuit. I was sorely tempted to turn left instead of right and drive to Katie's school to watch her (just like in the Beanstalk story, huh?). But I forced myself to go to McDonald's instead. And THAT'S when the tears over Katie hit me, as I was pulling in to McDonald's. That's when I realized there won't be any more lunches at McDonald's with her, at least not on a regular basis. I've been lucky to be a stay-at-home mom, and be able to do the fun stuff with Katie day-in and day-out. But now the feeling of a perpetual summer (always being able to head out to the mall or Chuck E Cheese or the park or carousel) is over, and those fun days will be relegated to the "real" summer now - or at least Cycle Breaks, since our school is on a year-round schedule. Now it's just me and Jackson, and we get to start new adventures of our own.

Jackson is at Grandma's this morning. She offered to watch him so we could focus solely on Katie. I'm glad she did, but now I'm ready to see him again. And I can't wait to hear what Katie says about her first day! I'll post later tonight after I find out.