Fervor

For the longest time, she's wanted to go to school. To be like the older, more sophisticated kids in her life. To learn things. To meet new friends. To garner a new audience.

It's tough to be the smallest of three. It's not easy to see the two people you love most in the world, go off and see and do so many fun and fabulous things.

Not today. As of today, the time for waiting is for someone else. Miss Ellie went to school.

Her subconscious woke her up early. She sat upright in my bed at approximately 4:44 AM and said, "How did I get here? Am I awake? I must have been slept-walking."

Her bewilderment quickly turned to excitement and the inevitable next question, "Is it time to get dressed yet?" It wasn't. And with the thunder and rain, I wasn't eager to get out of bed anytime soon... first day or not.

She helped to put the boys on the bus and settled in to enjoy breakfast with mom and dad. (She really enjoys that alone time, in metered doses.)

Thankfully for both of us, Ellie's first day was a half day with parents. I tried to soak it all in, but had this feeling that I wasn't doing it quite right... I must have snapped a few dozen pictures, some of the most mundane tasks. Other things, it didn't occur to me to take a picture at all. (Right about now, I'm wishing I had a picture of her holding that too-big lunch tray... or wrestling with the milk carton to get it open.)

We came home and promptly did her homework; an part project. She was in heaven, coloring and drawing with a fervor I haven't seen in a while. That new excitement and responsibility is fun to see. I know kindergarten is going to be a great time for Ellie... and I think I'll enjoy it as well, provided I can do a better job of living in the moment, right alongside her, and not looking off too far into the distance. After all, I know how fast this time goes... it won't slow no matter how much I wish it would.