It's That Time Already?

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

I can hardly believe it.

I just got home from registering the Princess for kindergarten. Kindergarten! My little girl is going to be starting school in the Fall! It can't be that time already, can it?

Admittedly, I'm going through this a little earlier than most parents - the Princess is a December baby, so she just makes the cut-off to apply to school for this Fall. If she were born just a few weeks later, I would have another whole year to get used to this idea. However, that's not the case. She'll just be a wee little 4-year-old when she starts school in September!

Don't get me wrong, though - she's totally ready to go. She's been in preschool for 2 years now, and she absolutely loves school. She's very social, and she loves the opportunity to be among other children. She also loves, loves, loves to learn new things. She has discovered those workbooks that you can buy at the bookstore that have activities geared at different age levels - you know, the ones designed to teach your child reading, math, etc. Well, she can't get enough of those things. She will sit at the kitchen counter for long stretches of time doing those workbooks, totally of her own volition. We have never asked her to do them, in fact sometimes we have to take them away because she's been at it for more than an hour at a time! She reminds me so much of myself at that age - I loved anything to do with school as well. It's so delightful to see a child with such an innate love of learning.

But it's hard for Mommy to let go. I am so happy for her that she's going to be starting school because I know she's going to really enjoy it. And, it will be good to have her off at school for part of the day when there's a new baby in the house - one less thing I have to worry about, right? But at the same time I want to hang on to her a little longer, have a little more of that "little kid" time before letting her cross over into "big kid" land. I'm selfish, I know, but I want my first "baby" to stay a "baby" a little longer. Where does the time go?