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?