Nervous hands and new kicks.
Our littlest one begins Kindergarten and all of a sudden April 14, 2008 really does seem like yesterday and the reality of “they grow so fast,’ slaps me right in the face.
She’s been going to preschool for the past 2 years so I’m used to her being away from me. But starting public school seems so very different all of a sudden.
Her nervous hands and new kicks wait patiently in line for the school bus to arrive. Oliver knows that he will sit with her on the very first day of riding the school bus, just as Abby sat with him 3 years ago.
My three babies are all in a row. I kiss them quickly as the bus pulls up and pause at my littlest one so I can take her hand and kiss it where we have drawn matching heart tattoos in case we miss each other. She smiles (crooked) and without a second glance climbs the steps to find a seat. Oliver settles in next to her and without even a moment of hesitation I find myself climbing the steps and inside the bus. I snap a quick picture with my phone, blow a kiss, and climb off to wave from the road with the other parents. I see her eyes peeking out, and even though I can’t see her mouth, I know that she’s smiling.
And just like that, a new chapter begins.