The end of en era

Friday was Mia's last day of school.  She is officially a second grader.  I thought I would be sad, but I'm not.  I'm proud of the girl she has become.  

Her first day of first grade:

 Her last day of first grade:

This year the changes are more subtle.  She still wears the same size.  She still loves art and spanish, monkey bars and cafeteria cheeseburgers.  But she's growing deeper and more complicated by the minute.  It's scary.  It's curl up in the fetal position, rock back and forth and cry for my mother scary.  But it's also delightful.  We have conversations that I actually enjoy.  I like this girl she is becoming.  It's kind of like getting to know my husband as a child.  Creepy and interesting all at the same time.

And this marked the last week of Sonshine School for our family.  SSS has been a blessing to us for the past seven years, but it's time to move on to uncharted territory for our family - pre-k.

His first day of SSS:  

His last day of SSS:

I wouldn't hear of Mia going to pre-k.  I wanted her home with me, and besides, she was great entertainment for the Bodester.  Truth be told, I needed her to keep us all sane.  

But Bode is definitely NOT Mia.  This is a realization that still takes me by surprise all the time.  He is his own person and he will go his own way.  So off to pre-k he will go.

And so I face a new reality.  

I don't even remember who I was before I had a child attached to my hip.  The person I was before babies has long been buried and forgotten.  And I'm completely ok with that.  I don't think I could even have a conversation with her anymore - we have so little in common.  

I look forward to what God has in store for me in this next phase of motherhood.  Every time I think it can't get any better {or exhausting} it somehow does.  I am confident this season will be no exception.