I am sitting here tonight preparing myself to take Ashlynn and Everett to preschool like any other Thursday. Giving the kids dinner, getting them to take a bath, getting on their PJ's, making sure the book bags are packed, their clothes are picked out, and then get them ready to go to bed. However, I realized tonight that this is the last night I will get my sweet girl ready for preschool. Tomorrow is it the last day my sweet girl will ever go to West Nash (as a student anyway) and I don't know how I feel about it. I cry every time the word graduation comes up, every time I see her name on the list for tomorrow's program, and every time I catch her singing her graduation songs for tomorrow night. How did we get here? Was it not just yesterday I brought my tiny little girl home? I know we have a long time before she graduates high school, goes to college, or even gets married. I know I will still have her for the next 13 years at least, but at the same time it feels like it will all be over tomorrow. The past 5 years flew by and my sweet girl is looking at KINDERGARTEN. She will be in school and once you start school the next 13 years will fly by in a blink of an eye. I bet my parents are thinking the same thing right now I was born they blinked and now I am married with 3 kids. I know I should be happy we made it this far, that she has accomplished so much in 5 years already. She can walk, talk, dress herself, feed herself, swing all by herself, she can write and recognize her letters, write words, she is learning to read and so much more. I am so proud of her accomplishments but at the same time I am terrified. She is becoming more and more independent and tomorrow is just the start of it all. She is no longer a baby, toddler, or a preschooler but at the same time I still see her as this tiny little fragile girl who needs me for every little thing. I am terrified of the changes our family will experience over the next few months and years. A season in our lives is over and a new one is soon to start. We will embark on a journey of raising a school aged child and all that comes with growing up. I am not sure mommy is ready for this CHANGE. What an evil word when you are talking about your tiny humans growing up. Tomorrow we as a family will close a chapter and start a new one. In the mean time I will spend my night is denial that tomorrow is like any other preschool day. I will leave you with the story I am reading my sweet girl's preschool class tomorrow. When I was in Gamma Sigma in college we would read "Oh, The Places You'll Go" By Dr. Suess to our graduating members. So as a little treat to the graduating preschoolers.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on y our way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
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