first day of school

ramona is a kindergartener. how did that happen? how did 5 1/2 years disappear in the blink of an eye? those same years were made up of the longest days and longest nights and longest moments of my LIFE, but somehow the years are so short. but whatever trickery time and perception has up its sleeve, the simple truth is here we are in this moment.

this moment, where these two friends get bigger and older and braver, and move on to their own school settings. james will be a big guy at preschool now, and ramona will be a little guy at the elementary. time together will grow shorter. time as a family will be more rare, more precious. time to marvel at their skills and accomplishments will expand beyond expectation. time to explore challenges and frustrations will be more abundant than i think i can even guess. but even these things, these things of growing up, of the passage of time? even these things will pass in the blink of an eye.

but here we are in this moment, and it's a darn cute moment.

we all went to ramona's new school first, where she found her preschool friend jude and they shared a big kindergartener smile in front of the sign. look at them. they are so proud. and sweet. and a little nervous. and so proud.

name tag on. nerves atwitter. milling about the playgroud, awaiting the bell and the line up and walk into school. that sassy tongue belies some nerves. 

and the next time i tried to take a picture, i got a palm instead. she was done with distraction.


high fives from the art teacher on her way into school.

and just one time per year, parents can sneak into the hallways before the final bell to dry tears and help get kids settled. i snuck in behind her. she didn't know. she was STONE faced, and brave, and so so tiny in front of that big locker. later, she told me she "kind of felt like crying, and was sad in [her] heart, and had a tiny drop of a tear in [her] eye" at the start of the day, but then it was ok. she doesn't know that i was a little sad in my heart, too, even though it is ok. 

and then the james, back to tenney nursery, with the shark backpack and the sly look. surprise tears sprung from his big beautiful eyes at the goodbye, which told me just how much he will miss his sister, and just how different this year will be from last year.