Ready or Not....Preschool

I would say I am a pretty laid back parent when it comes to handing my kids over to other people.  It is easy for me to leave the girls with Nana or Grandma for a week while Phil and I go on vacation (I have maybe more faith in our moms' abilities than my own at times).  Judge if you must, but I eagerly hand them off to the child care at the gym, the nursery at church or MOPS, and when the neighbor kids ring the doorbell and ask to play with our girls outside, I can't get their shoes on fast enough!

However, today something is different!  Today I send Emrie off to preschool for the first time and I AM SO NERVOUS!

Her preschool is FABULOUS! Super loving, Christian teachers, literally right down the street from our house and it is only for 4 hours twice a week.

But in my mind this marks the beginning of a new chapter. A chapter in which I am no longer the only authority on all subject matter.  She will learn things from her teachers and from the other kids and this is just the beginning.  For the rest of her life she will go to school for larger amounts of time, and the influences of others will be greater and greater, and her experiences will be less and less in my control.

Sure, her dad and I will always be the constant from school year to school year and we will always have the responsibility of being her most influential role models.

But I am not sure I am ready to share that with someone else yet. I don't know if I am ready to give up that control.

Ready or not...

 

I packed her lunch up and prayed over it.

Then I packed up her backpack and prayed over it.

Then I packed her up and prayed over her.

Then we prayed together before she got out of the car.

Then we walked into the building and she said, "There's and owl in my lunchbox, that makes me laugh." The tears nearly started then.

Then she walked over as if she had been doing it her whole life and she put her backpack in her basket.

Then she walked in to her room, told her teacher her name and started playing with the dinosaurs.  She didn't even turn around until I said, "Bye Emrie, I love you."  I got a wave and then back to the dinosaurs.

Then Aven and I walked back to the car....AND I CRIED!

I couldn't stop the tears from falling.  I gave it 2 minutes, then looked back at Aven, who giggled and I knew we were going to have a great day, just the two of us.  And Emrie would have a great day with her new friends.

Emrie, I know you are going to have an amazing school year and you will be a light to others and fill them with as much joy as you do us at home!