Spread your wings

This year, #1 is entering the public school system.  This means taking the bus all by herself and getting to her kindergarten classroom by herself too.  That used to terrify me.  The nights leading up to my first day of school, I would have nightmares of not being able to find my classroom.  The week before my first day of high school (I was 1 of about 500 students in the school), I had my big brother take me in and show me where each of my classes were going to be.  I had to be prepared.  

#1 didn't care.  She was going to wing it. 

The bus situation scared me a lot.  She only knew a few kids from preschool soccer over the summer, but most of them were being driven to school by their parents because they are "too young" to do the bus alone.  She wouldn't know any kids on the bus.  I started thinking I was a bad parent.  Should a 5 year old really be taking a bus all by herself?  I did when I was little?!  What were all the other parents thinking that I wasn't?  Eh... that's where it ended.  She wanted to do it and I wasn't going to hold her back.  Independence is a good thing, right?  

 She was so excited to see the bus come around the corner. 

This was the moment I started panicking... on the inside.  My heart was pumping so fast... I was terrified.  She has always been the child that resisted change.  New routines, new places, new experiences, etc.  She never went into them without throwing a tantrum or freaking out.  No tantrums and no freaking out.  My baby was growing up!  

I stayed there to make sure she didn't come flying off the bus crying her head off.  I waited because I was sure it was going to happen.  It didn't.

 Have a great first day, my sweet big kid!   Spread your wings and fly!