My Baby’s All Grown Up

Well, today was the big day.  My little Autumn Bottom started Kindergarten.  I wanted her to have a good breakfast on her first day, so I made a breakfast casserole in the crock pot last night so when we woke up this morning it would be ready.  Then we had to do some first day of school pictures.  I got this cute printable (I will be using one every year) from this cute blog.

She wanted to do her “sassy” pose to show off her blinged out shirt that says, “Kindergarten rocks”.  Mimi found it a few months ago at the kid’s consignment and we’ve been saving it for today.

He backpack is almost as big as she is!  We loaded in the car and went over to the school so we could get a picture of her in front of her new school.  Then I took her to her classroom where she put her backpack on the back of her chair, sat in her seat, and started coloring.  I gave her a hug and told her how proud I was of her and that I hope she has a great day and I can’t wait to hear all about it when I pick her up.  Then that was it.  I waved good bye and went back to the car.  I didn’t even get teary-eyed b/c she was so happy and I was so happy for her.

On the way to work, I was listening to the radio and they read this poem and then played “Butterfly Kisses” which made me cry.

I Trust You’ll Treat Her Well
Author: Victor Buono

Dear World:
I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day long.. and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.
I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning...and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine.
Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Goodbye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells...and deadlines...and she'll learn to giggle...and gossip...and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy 'cross the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about those important things...like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friends is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ...which is only right. But no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time...she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group...with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud...or kiss dogs...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.
I trust you'll treat her well.

How can that not just bring a tear to a mother’s eye?  I allowed myself to cry for just a minute b/c this really is the first step to my little girl growing up.  But then I moved on and focused on how great this is and all the wonderful things she’ll learn and all the adventures she’ll have.  I think this was easier on me b/c she’s been going to “college” since she was a little baby.  If I was home w/ her all day then it would be a lot harder on me.  It’s funny that she’s now graduated from “college” to go into Kindergarten.  But, “college” (which is what she calls daycare) will pick her up after school and take care of her until I come pick her up like usual.

When I got to work, I went to put something in my trunk and noticed a piece of garbage under my rear window wiper.  This is what it was!!!  I know nothing about drugs, but I think this might be a marijuana plant print???  Odd!

I thought about Autumn all day and wondered what she was doing and what fun adventures she was having.  I couldn’t wait for 5:00 to get here so I could leave and go pick her up and hear all about her day.  From what I can gather, it was a raging success.  We went to Mom & Dad’s for dinner and then we had FHE.  On the drive home, there was this cool looking cloud in the sky.  Autumn wanted me to get a picture of it.

I got her to bed and then when Nick got home from work I went over to Christine’s at 9:30 for our weekly get together.  Us gals ended up talking for an hour before we even started watching Downton Abbey!  I noticed that most of the time when we’re talking I just sit back and listen b/c I don’t really have a lot of drama or excitement going on in my life.

When I got home at midnight, I went into Autumn’s room to turn off her lamp and I noticed something on the floor near one of her blankets.  At first I thought it was a toy, but when I got closer I realized it was a big spider about the size of my palm!!!  I tried not to freak out and went and got Nick and told him to help me.  He got this tupperware to put over the spider and then he slid a plate underneath it and took it outside and threw it in the yard.  I was so creeped out and was glad he was there, b/c I couldn’t have done that.

Then, I was sitting at the kitchen table writing down a few things I need to remember to do tomorrow when I saw an ant walk across the page!  I squished it and thought that was weird that an ant was on the table.  I looked around to see if there were any more, b/c usually if there is one, there are a lot more.  That’s when I noticed a few ants coming out of the plantation blinds over one of the windows.  I squished those ants and stood there and watched to see if any more came out.  There were more and as I looked around I realized there were quite a few ants on the walls and even a few on the ceilings!  I squished the ones I could reach and decided to open the plantation blinds to see where the ants were coming from.  I FREAKED OUT when I saw how many ants there were.  I sprayed the heck out of them, and this is only at the bottom of the window.  There were just as many, if not more, along the sides of the window.  I got Nick again and made him go outside to spray on the outside.  They just kept coming and we used a whole can of spray on these nasty things.  I’m tried wiping them up but it was just spreading them all over.  So, I’m going to have to let it dry and vacuum them up tomorrow.

I am SO OOGIED OUT right now b/c of the spider and ant invasions.  I hope I can sleep and not have nightmares of things crawling all over me in the night!