The Countdown Winds Down

So Princess E starts kindergarten on Wednesday. Although a bit "apprehensive" (yes, that's a direct quote from her), she's beyond excited, especially about taking her lunch in her new Barbie lunchbox.

I, however, am just trying to hold it together until I get out of sight after dropping her off at school.

I was doing pretty well until this afternoon, when we settled down for quiet time and she brought me the book she'd chosen for me to read to her.

I don't know where she found this book. I thought I'd buried it deeply enough in her enormous personal library of books that she'd never find it again. I haven't read it out loud in a couple of years...not because it's a bad book. It's a marvelous book, but I can't get five pages into the dang thing without crying - and that's on a good day. On this day, I was almost hyperventilating by the end because I was sobbing so hard. Princess E was wiping my tears away, saying, "Mommy, don't worry. I'll always be your baby. Will you always rock me?" which of course only made me sob harder.

Damn book. Complete with illustrations of a red-headed kid. Seriously, that's just cruel.

Don't worry. I eventually pulled it together and, with a smile on my face and waterproof mascara intact, escorted the Princess to her "Meet the Teacher" event at school, which fueled her excitement to no end. She's going to have a ball, and she's going to learn so much from a fabulous teacher and her seven cute little classmates. She's going to be just fine.

And eventually, although a piece of my heart is being dropped off at school Wednesday, I'll be fine as well. A little more cognizant of the weird juxtaposition of pride and pain that is inevitable with motherhood, but still, I'll be fine.

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be.

Be happy, be well, and always know how deeply you are cherished, Princess. Mommy loves you.