Everything she needs to know ...

May 23rd, 2007


Well . . . the day finally arrived. I did not want it to arrive, but it did. I am not sure how it got here so darn fast. I sure was not ready for it. I am not sure how Clint and I got to this point in our life so darn fast. I am trying to think back to remember where the time went . . . but I can not seem to remember. The day arrived that . . . Breeanna went off to her last day of kindergarten. At 3:03 this afternoon, she will be in the first grade. When did our baby girl grow up and become a FIRST grader?? I remember dreading the first day of school. Last August 15th, the tears were falling like water falls. I cried a month in advance about that day. Now, here I am 9 months later , , , crying all over again.


Kindergarten . . . what a time of miracles in kids lives. It is their "stepping stone" into school and their future. They get their first backpack, first school box to put their brand new crayons in, first time to eat a school lunch, they begin to read, be line leader for the day, weekly show and tell, learn the calendar, add numbers, have gym and music class, check out their own book at the school library, write their own name, have their own desk, use siscors and glue without Mommy standing next to them saying "be careful", have afternoon milk and snack, start to depend on other adults instead of Mommy and Daddy, begin to become their own little people, and figure out who they are going to be in life. Breeanna went to her first swimming party, had her first music program, her first acutal crush, read her first book, had numerous playdates with friends, said "he is so cute" for the first time, played on a soccer team, her first year to do Book-It, took her first Iowa Basic test, first bomb threat at school (unfortunately she had to have that one), her first "snow day", had her first school picture, had to be called into school for the first time because she was sick, had her first kid be mean to her, wore her hair down with no bows for the first time, rode the bus for the first time, went to her first book fair, went to the nurses office for a fever, got her first grade card, had to sit out at recess for the first time, had her first Donuuts for Dad's and Muffins for Mom's, went on her first field trip, woke up excited about school every morning, and grew up right before our eyes.


BUT as she has grown up, Clint and I have seen a WONDERFUL little girl begin to bloom. She is a poliete, caring, adorbale, smart, responsible, little girl who is a huge help with a big heart. She is going to be just fine as she gets older. . . . as long as she always remember what she has learned in kindergarten: Share everything, play fair, don't hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don't take things that are not yours, say you're sorry when you hurt somebody, wash your hands before you eat, flush. warm cookies and cold milk are good for you, say please and thank you, live a balanced life (learn some, think some, draw, paint, sing, dance, play, and work every day some), take a nap every afternoon with your blankie, when you go out into the world -watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together, be aware of wonder, remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, goldfish and hamsters (and even the little seed in the styrofoam cup) they all die and it is sad, and remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK!


Oh yeah . . . and Breeanna . . . last night when I was talking to you about your last day of kindergarten . . . and I began to cry. Thank you for being you. (She looked right at me and said "I will always love you, even when I am in the first grade." Then hugged me. Even when she wanted to let go, she didn't. She held on just a little bit longer.) Breeanna, we will always love you, even if you are growing up way to fast! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of our kindergarten graduate!