first day of school! first day of school!

E was a lot like Nemo on that first day. Dragging her feet during the last few days of her summer gave way to binging off the walls early on Thursday. If I remember correctly (I was still sleeping) she was dressed, with backpack on at 7:05.

She did manage one last hurrah, a tea party, with The Pill. He was not ready for the bell to ring and worried about what he was going to do ALL DAY. Instead, he was able to play with some super-fun second cousins and accompanied E on a play date after school. All was good.

We continued our tradition (going on three years) of all riding bikes to school on the first day and I was secretly touched when she asked that I walk her to her classroom. She isn't as old as she sometimes seems or as she thinks she is. I am thankful for the small moments that remind me.

Speaking of traditions, we have a new one. When I was first introduced to the Nie Nie Dialogues last year, one of the first posts I read was about their back-to-school-feast. What a fabulous way to get excited for school and make the focus all on the children. We didn't come up with a family motto, but we did drink fancy drinks out of fancy glasses, made a toast to E, and the kids ate it up! A tradition we will continue and one I would recommend.

I love this picture of her. My little E is in second grade. Even as I write it, I have a hard time believing it. I am listening to the rain, thinking about getting her off to school in the morning, and I am sad. I wasn't ready this year. I was visiting with a neighbor friend of mine a few nights ago and we were discussing how crazy it is that her eldest daughter just got married. She looked at me and with so much love for her daughter written all over her face, she reminded me not to blink. ''Don't blink, they will be gone."

I think about how excited I have always been for my children to move on the the next thing. To sit. To crawl. To walk. To go to school. I have cherished all those moments with my children, but I have also blinked a few to many times. Sometimes it takes a first day of school or a friendly reminder to slow us down.