And there she goes.  Baby Kel-Kel went to Kindergarten today.  She found her cubby, unpacked her rest blanket, traced her nametag, hugged her Daddy, smiled wide, and waved me off.  BIG GIRL LIFE IS BEGINNING MOMMY.  You’ll need to go now.  Of course I didn’t.  I lingered in the doorway, making sure I met every new parent with a smile and a chat.  I loitered at the front office, feigning usefulness, knowing full well there is nothing more useless to a building full of teachers on the first day of school than a lobby full of anxious parents.  I sipped coffee at the Early Childhood desk, bubbling over with exuberance all over a certain Mrs. H.’s desk. A lovely woman who seems endlessly patient with me after 5 years of me taking up residence in her lobby. Sara’s long line of very dedicated teachers found a moment to come out and ask of her summer, and if she was ready for today.  We all simmered with anticipation at “Day 1 of First Grade, Part II.”

And from there the day just got better, and better, and better, and better.  But I’m afraid of a massive jinxing, to be honest.  Go outside quick!  Find a Beetle and hit someone and yell, “Slug bug!”…or whatever it is cool kids do to undo a jinx.  OK…I’m going to whisper it, so read this with the whisper voice in your head: Sara started 1st Grade over today by riding in with her Daddy, who settled her into her classroom with her favorite teacher 10 minutes before the doors to school opened, and started her day by helping with a task.  Then she commenced into a day so grand, she didn’t stop talking from 3:15 until she passed out 10 minutes ago.  She didn’t leak a drop of pee (what?!) all day.  She sat in the world’s largest bubble bath tonight singing, “I love first grade.  I looooveeee first grade.  ROCK! ROCK!  FIRST GRADE ROCKS!”  And then I received an email from her teacher, telling me of an extremely happy young lady who helped the new kids, made new friends, took on a leadership role, and kicked serious tail on her math assessment.  Let me WHISPER that again: Sara DID math.  Sara got it RIGHT.  Her Math Tutor and Primary Teacher should be sainted (yell that out loud).

You may return to the regular voice in your head.

I’d like to take all of today, wrap it up in a beautiful wooden box, engrave it with the words, “I thought today was going to be damn near impossible, and instead it was so awesome that I can’t stop writing words that really don’t add any value to this post, and I’m fairly certain I’m dreaming this entire thing, but if I keep writing, I won’t wake up to a child having a major meltdown about repeating a grade, and another one overly worked up about Kindergarten, so keep typing…just keep typing…”, and tuck it away in my overstuffed Hope Chest.  It happened.  Today really happened. Pinch me.  Then hurry!  Go find a Beetle and Slug Bug me!!

Right now I have to go say a prayer for the thousands of you who prayed for me.  For the friends and family who’ve held my hand through this entire wild decision.  For my husband who never wavered or showed a shred of doubt.  But mostly for the teachers, therapists, and school administrators who truly believed Sara was in there, and had the gifts to show her the way. I don’t know what this year will bring, but today is ours forever.  God has been so good to us.