Back to School

I am a big cry baby. Every year on the first day of school, I cry. Since Emma started kindergarten, each new school year has brought something unknown or new. My baby starting kindergarten was definitely emotional. Tears. 

Right before Emma started first grade we had moved to Idaho, so her first day of first grade might as well have been kindergarten all over again. I had to put my baby girl on a great big bus and send her to a brand new school where she didn't know a soul. She was scared, so was I. I may or may not have even made David follow the bus to school that morning to make sure she got into the school safely. Okay, no maybe about it. I totally did that. Again, tears. Lots and lots of tears. 

The following year when Emma entered second grade at the same school having made lots of friends in first grade, you might think I would be okay. Not so. That was the year Jase started kindergarten. My babies are growing up so fast. Much faster than I am ready for. Tears. 

Last year I knew there was no hope of keeping the tears at bay so I just let them flow. We had moved. Again. Which meant a new school for both Emma and Jase. Where they knew no one. And a new house. And a new baby. There had been so many changes the summer of 2012, I felt like our kids had zero normalcy. Lots of tears. 

This year I thought I would be strong. There was no reason for tears, I thought. But as well pulled up to the school and saw this:

I could feel the tears trying to come. Each year on the first day of school the fire department is out with their lights flashing reminding everyone to slow down and that school is back is session. Emma and Jase were actually pretty excited to go back to school this year. 

And then it hit me. For real. This is Emma's last year of elementary school. Next year she will be in middle school. Time is going by way too fast and my babies are growing up much quicker than I am prepared for. It's a good thing I was wearing sunglasses as I walked my kids into their classrooms that first day. Because you guessed it: tears. Lots of tears. But this year was different because my kids were excited nervous for the first day of school. Not scared nervous like years previous. They happily hugged me goodbye and found their friends, eager to start a new year of school. 

So why do I cry every.single.year?! Because I am a cry baby. I blame my mom. :)