Kindergarten Eve

Dear Will-

In less than 12 hours, your Dad and I will be walking you down the hallway of elementary school to your kindergarten classroom.  I keep asking myself how this is even possible. Where have the last 5 years, 10 months and 4 days (I think this is right) gone?

I remember what I had on to wear to work the day I decided, as I was walking into the garage, that something just didn't feel right and I would work from home that day. You were born about 15 hours later. I remember watching Boise State play football on their trademark blue field that night in the hospital. I remember that the "going home" outfit I had bought for you didn't fit and you had to wear just a NCSU onesie home from the hospital.  Ironically, it is the perfect match to your NCSU backpack and pencils you will be sporting tomorrow.

I am so immensely proud of you and at the same time, a little scared of just how freaky smart you are. You are way smarter than me. You are so loving, caring and gentle, especially around younger children. Your sheer and pure love for Avery warms my heart on a daily basis and makes me feel like I have done something right as a parent.

You are also full of energy and to quote your Sunday School teacher, "enthusiastic".   From the moment your eyes open in the morning until the moment they shut at night. No wonder you are such a deep, deep sleeper.

I am weepy tonight....have been all day. It has been an emotionally draining week on me at work and the thought of you growing up is more than I can stand. Truth be told, I feel like going up to your room, getting you out of bed and sitting on your head. You know, to make you stop growing.

So while you probably already know this on some level, some day you will be able to put a name to my "condition"....you know, total Type A, OCD control freak.  My coping mechanism to deal with you growing up is to obsess over packing your lunch. I've been searching the web for ideas on fun foods, buying all sorts of storage contraptions for your lunch box, I've got a list detailed out for tomorrow on what I need to do and pack, etc..... 

As with most things I obsess over, God will quickly remind me that he is the one in control and it will just be a matter of days before I forget to send your lunch or leave out some major component of it. All of this will happen before we get your lunch account set up at school, I'm sure, causing your teacher to have to pony up the $2 needed to feed you in the cafeteria.

Good luck tomorrow, Bubby. I know you will wow the teachers with your charisma in no time.  Or the opposite. Whatever, Mommy and Daddy are behind you.

PS-You going to kindergarten makes me feel old. Just sayin'.......