First Day of K: Before

Today is a big deal.  My baby is beginning kindergarten!!  I am swimming in a weird mix of emotions.  I've been up before Noah getting things ready so we can look like we have our act together by the time we get to his school at 8:00.  Kindergarten.  Oh, wow, I've looked forward to this day forever and I come to find it's not all unadulterated joy like I anticipated - though it is a joyful milestone to be sure.  I am surprised at how the simple fact that the moment has arrived has hit me over the weekend.  Do I feel some grief?!  Is that was this is?  Maybe just bittersweet something or other.  Oh, what a special day it is.

But for now it's only 6:39 and Noah comes down the stairs to tell me he kept his pull-up dry so he gets to play video games.  "After school I get to play video games, wight Mommy?" He makes sure I understand.  "Right," I say.

Then he says with earnest and alert eyes, "Mommy, I so excited I gonna go to kindergarten!!  You gonna say, "You wike kindergarten?" and I gonna say, "Yes, I wike kindergarten!"  And my heart smiles on him and his exuberance and his happiness about today.  I am so happy with him.  So happy my heart won't let me do it without tears. Seriously, watering up as I type - but not sad waterworks.  I don't know what this feeling is!

T minus 40 minutes til we get in the car ... with every last peanut allergy note/chart, epi-pen, checklist, many school supplies, lunch (slapped with 40 peanut allergy stickers.  Ok, just 2), camera, medical bracelet, extra epi-pen, and the boy.  Oh, the boy.  Oh boy!  What a big day.