First Day of Kindergarten

I hope she has the same excitement for the start of school every single year.

People have said that sending your child to school for the first time is hard.
Tristyn has been going to school since she was 3 months old.
It has never been hard for me.
Maybe because she always loved the people taking such great care of her during the day.
From Miss Cheryl to everyone at Caring Heart Open Arms...they made dropping her off a snap for me.

But watching her wait for the big, yellow bus
With her pink Barbie backpack with matching lunchbox...
Watching her skip excitedly to climb the big stairs and find her seat...
I got a little choked up.

My little girl isn't so little anymore.
She is independent
Confident
And Whimsical.

She walked down the hall to her classroom
Holding her best friend's hand.
She waited her turn to give her teacher, Mrs. Cruz an apple.
It was her idea.
She picked it out at the store, made sure it was the right color
And packed it in her bag.
She is so caring.
I think that might become a first day tradition.

She found her name on the classroom tree
And at her seat around the red table.
She immediately sat down and got right to work.
Coloring a raccoon.

A quick hug and kiss good-bye.
No tears from Little Nug.
Only smiles and total confidence.

She's not a Little Nug anymore.

She's Big Tristyn.

It's corny to say, but she starts her educational career today.
Coloring a raccoon.
With test scores,
Standards,
ISTEPs,
Social pressures,
AP classes,
Technology upgrades
And more...
The next 13 years is where she will find herself
And secure her future.

My hopes/advice for Tristyn are these:
-Put forth your best effort and work hard at everything you do.
-But don't stress so much about letter grades.
-Always smile and be nice to others.
-Choose your friends wisely.
-Education is one thing that NO ONE can ever take away from you, so learn as much as you can.

It's really hard to think that in 13 years
I will be kissing her good-bye in her dorm room.