i realize i am not the only mama in the world that spent august 2014 preparing for this ginormous life event. until just a week ago, i was going through the practical steps of prepping for kindergarten. ordering uniforms. filling out forms. writing checks. buying school supplies. ordering a lunchbox. and, then it hit me.

my baby is going to school.

the coveted red backpack. ready to go.

not preschool. (no offense to preschool, because i cried like a baby on the first day of preschool too. in fact, little mr. re-nest #1 talks about his preschool teacher no fewer than five times every week.) but this is school. this is “there’s no turning back now” school. this is backpacks and worksheets and projects and homework. this is the real thing.

there will no longer be the ability for us to schedule a trip from august to may. i have to get into “school-mode mind.” there will be a lunch to pack every night, a backpack to check for important notes, questions to ask about friends and classrooms and special projects. recess. sports. 

but beyond all of the day-to-day things, there will be so many wonderful things. watching him continue to grow and learn and absorb all of the cool new things he’s going to learn. seeing him evolve into a young boy rather than a little boy (which i continue to refer to him as).

the uniforms are hung in the closet with care

i’m so excited for him. and, i’m so excited for our family and our choice of school for him. i can’t wait to see him in his uniform tomorrow. i feel so blessed that he will be going to school exactly two blocks from where my 9-to-5 is. and, that i’m going to be able to drop him off and pick him up everyday. that right there? that was what i always envisioned for myself. being close and being able to have the gift of doing that for my kids. 

the perfect book

so, tomorrow, little mr. re-nest #1 becomes a young boy. but you can bet that every night, i will still hold my arms out, encourage him to hold still for one minute, while i hug him tight and tell him i love him to the moon and back.

to all of the other mamas on the same journey with me: we can do this. 🙂