Growing Up

Back in July when Olivia began school I dreaded taking her, because it would break my heart when I left her there. Just getting her ready was a fight and anytime she heard school she would say, "I don't want to go to school!" I would carry her inside and sign her in each morning. Then as we got a little closer to her door she would cling to me tighter and tighter until the tears started streaming down her little cheeks. I would tell her I loved her and how much fun she would have that day. I reminded her that Papa would pick her up in just a few hours as Ms. Amber reached to peel her from my arms.

The first few morning when I would be settled at my desk for the day, I reached for the phone and dialed her school. Each time Mrs. Elisa would asure me that she was fine and  she had only cried for a few minutes. When we asked her what she did at school she would say, "I cwied.".

Over the next few weeks getting ready for school became much easier and she would wake up smiling on days she was going. Ms. Amber gradually became her favorite person to see and the tears ceased. She started walking in all by herself, taking my car keys and locking the door behind us. She walks in holding my hand and lets herself in her room. It breaks my heart now but in a different way, my little baby girl is growing up.

Now she comes home and proudly shows us her artwork from that week. I have even made her a binder to keep all of her pieces in so one day we can sit down a long way from now and I can proudly show her what she did.