Graduate Assignment

I am taking 2 graduate courses this semester and one of those courses is technology.  Now, I must admit that I am struggling to find the connection between this course and it's true relevance to the leadership degree I am getting (unless you are just making the connection that principals need to be aware of technology and how to use it in order to best lead their staff...but that's a discussion for another time).  However, my assignment this week was to take a photo and edit it 3 ways.  Ok, not a big deal and actually one I was happy to do. 

I have Picassa 3 on my home computer and that's the program where I upload all of my photos.  I can then send them to my web album so that they are always safe in case my computer ever crashes on me.  Having this program made my assignment so much easier.

So here's my assignment.

The original photo (one of my favorites from her 3 year old pictures)

Here is the photo as a pencil sketch

Here it is cropped, black and white, softened with a mirror edge

And finally, cropped, softened, with a frame and her name

Now, you tell me what this assignment had to do with becoming a school principal because I'm struggling to find the connection.  But, it's ok because I genuinely enjoyed completing this assignment and learned something new in the process (even if it had nothing to do with my degree).

The "K" Word

So yesterday at school, I went to my mailbox and pulled out a stack of papers waiting to be put into the kids' take home folders.  Pretty normal stuff at a school.  However, this particular stack took me by surprise and within an instant the smile left my face and tears began streaming down my cheeks.

Why?

The papers were to announce the dates of our kindergarten registration. 

Kaci has already been going to Crossroads with me for 2 years as a preschool student so it's not like much is going to change next year, except for the fact that she'll now be going to school all day instead of a half day.  But for some reason this one piece of paper made everything a reality.  Kindergarten now isn't too far away and I don't know if I'm really ready for it.  My baby isn't a baby any longer; this solidifies the fact that she truly is a big girl.  And in just a few months I'm going to be sending her off to kindergarten, off to the start of 13 long years of school (and then I'll be crying because she'll be graduating).

I was taken back to my first day of kindergarten and how the teacher had to send my mom away because of her uncontrollable crying, and then it hit me...I really am my mother.  I have a feeling I am going to be that  mom.  The mom that gets sent away because I can't stop crying. 

I don't know why it's so hard to let them grow up (but I bet on the first day of school my child will be the one telling me to grow up in between my sobs).  I just wish I could keep her little just a short while longer.

From the day she was born

As she grew

And started preschool

Where did my little girl go?