Maddie started Kindergarten. It has been strange especially the new sleep schedule, which she is getting down better then I thought. The day before school started we let Maddie pick out a new dress and accessories. We got her hair cut and took her to do something fun for her last day of summer. She chose to go to the movie theater. We went and saw Nancy Drew, which Maddie absolutely loved. We plan on starting the books now. I was surprised when she passed out at 7:30. The following day we all got up about 6 and started her first day. Jake made her pancakes and bacon, Which he hand fed her. I dressed her and curled her hair. We packed her lunch and we where off, to her first day of kindergarten. We panicked a little fighting the traffic, We wanted to get there early to take a few pictures. We said goodbye after a few pictures and kisses.
We did rather well as parents sending our first child to kindergarten. Until we where driving on our way to the back to school breakfast at church. We where listening to KLove and Jon Rivers read this story.
Dear world,
I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crisp dress , two twinkling eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long and a flash of shiny hair that bounces in the sun when she runs. I trust you’ll treat her well. She’s slipping out of the back yard of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day of school and never again will she be completely mine. Frail and proud she’ll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say “Good Bye” and walk with little lady steps to the school house. Now she’ll learn to stand in lines and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She’ll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school bells and deadlines and she’ll learn to giggle and gossip and look to the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the isle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she’ll learn to be jealous and now she’ll learn how it feels to be hurt inside now she’ll learn how not to cry. No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the side walk. Nor will she have time to pop out of the bed with the dawn and kiss the lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she’ll worry about those important things. Things like grades, and which dress to wear and whose best friend is whose. The books and learning will replace the blocks and dolls. Now she’ll find new heroes. For 5 full years now, I’ve been her sage and Santa clause and pal and playmate and father and friend. Now she’ll learn to share her worship with her teachers which is only right but no longer will I be the smartest greatest man in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time she’ll learn what it means to be a member of a group with all of its privileges and disadvantages too. She’ll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud or kiss dogs or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer. Today she’ll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends and I’ll stand at the front porch and watch her start out on that long lonely journey to becoming a woman. So world I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crisp dress with two twinkling eyes and a flash of hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you’ll treat her well.
We cried and cried. Because this is a big step in becoming less innocent. Will she still think we are the greatest things ever or will her friends take that place someday. I just pray that she never loses her passion for god. If she never looses that, well then I am ready for her to be turned loose into this world. I just hope in the 5 years when she was completely just Jake and I's, that we prepared her enough and loved her enough to face the hardships of this world.
When we returned to eat lunch with her, she was as happy as can be. She acted as if she new exactly what she was doing and she was a natural. All I can say is at the end of the day, I was just thrilled that she was as excited to see us as I was to see her. Everyday this week when she sees my face at the end of school it lights up and she gets excited. And that very small thing is what lights my life and gives me all I need to keep trying and keep loving in this imperfect world. I love you Maddie. God speed as you take your new journey in life.
Your little girl is adorable. I, too, have a Madeline! And I am so not looking forward to her first day at Kindergarten!
Posted by: monkeygirl | September 04, 2007 at 05:24 PM
MAN SHE IS BEAUTIFUL! Seriously what a cute way to introduce her I love it!
Posted by: Rebeccah Mildenstein | April 22, 2008 at 07:05 PM