1st Day Of Schoolicious.
Praise Jebus, The Day has finally come...
Complete with New Shoes:
She calls these her ballet slippers. Oh, how GIRLY.
When did her hair get so red? Jesus.
By this point, she was already clearly irritated with the picture-taking:
Goddamn paparazzi.
A few moments of apprehension when we first arrived:
Or maybe not so much apprehension as a need to pee:
She got into the swing of things pretty quick though, and after a few minutes was ignoring me completely:
Does this sammich need some pretend mustard or plastic chicken?
I can't say this morning was particularly difficult for M_ or for me. If anything, I'm in awe of just how grown up she is, of how much of a nearly complete individual she's become. She still needs me of course, but more and more I see that she needs to stand on her own without me, to assert herself and her burgeoning preschool-age independence. I'm there to ease the transitions, to provide reassurance and a sense of stability... but beyond that, she's rapidly becoming captain of her own tiny ship of girlhood. When I think of it in those terms, there's a small ache in my chest at the loss of her dependent baby/toddlerhood, when I was so central to everything in her world. But I can't say I'd trade that for who she is now, for who she's becoming: a smart, funny, spirited little girl, bursting with excitement about the world and everything in it.
Its amazing, you know? For being such a screw up, I really did manage to do a good job with her somehow, despite myself.
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I don't think it's despite you, but rather, *because* of you, you ninny.
She's gorgeous. I love her little dress, and that first picture made my heart squeeze just a little bit tighter. Sign. Some day.
Posted by: jonniker | August 28, 2006 at 12:58 PM
*sigh* I meant to sigh, not sign. Neither of which I can actually do on a blog.
Posted by: jonniker | August 28, 2006 at 12:59 PM
Oh my goodness. Ballet slippers! She really does look charming and self-reliant. Having met you at BlogHer I have no doubt of your determined high -quality mom skills. With humor yet. What little girl could ask for more?
Posted by: Cynthia Samuels | August 28, 2006 at 01:52 PM
Oh my... that picture made my heart squoosh all up. Priceless little face -- all grown up! It would appear you have done an excellent job. I can only hope to follow in your footsteps FIVE long years from now! :)
Posted by: Katie Kat | August 28, 2006 at 02:40 PM
She looks lovely. You done good, mama.
Posted by: Mother | August 28, 2006 at 03:25 PM
AAAWWWWW! She's so cute it hurts. Yay on the first day of school....we're still several days away.
Posted by: Sonia (DDM) | August 28, 2006 at 04:32 PM
How absolutely gorgeous!
Posted by: Amie | August 28, 2006 at 05:14 PM
I love the shoes, and the impish little smile.
Posted by: Erin | August 28, 2006 at 07:03 PM
what? are you telling me you've gone for a patch with no preschool???
lady, i take my hat off to you once again. and not just for producing a girl with such superior aesthetics (those shoes! and that dress! [sniff!] I want GIRL dammit).
J changes to a "Bear" next week--new classroom, new teachers. (mummy chewing her nails in the angst of it all. how will he cope?)
All he wants is a fricking spiderman backpack. and lunchbox. Where's the romance? The art?
Posted by: joy | August 28, 2006 at 08:03 PM
Fabulous shoes are always good, but a strong dose of smart, funny, spirited individualism is even better. Congrats to you both!
Posted by: mothergoosemouse | August 28, 2006 at 09:03 PM
Those are the pictures. I mean, The Pictures. The ones you'll have forever, that you pull out from time to time and reminisce about the shoes or the dress or the peeing.
It's beautiful. All of it.
Posted by: mom101 | August 28, 2006 at 09:32 PM
joy, clearly your admiration of M_ relates to the fact that, DUH: M_ LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU. seriously, did YOU give birth to her? because the resemblance is frickin' uncanny. she's Joy Jr., dude.
she may not be yours in blood, but i'm betting that most people would think she was your kid, not mine, based on looks alone.
so.... you, umm, want her? heh.
Posted by: sweetney | August 28, 2006 at 09:33 PM
"For being such a screw up, I really did manage to do a good job with her somehow, despite myself."
Yay! You don't seem at all like a screw up but congrats on doing an amazing job. (The fact that her hair is brushed and her clothes match and she has all her teeth indicates you can't be that bad. I'm not sure my kid will do as well entering kindergarten.) As a bona fid screw up myself, you give me hope.
Posted by: ozma | August 29, 2006 at 12:37 AM
Tracey, you rock so hard it's ridiculous. You just articulated just how I would want to feel on the first day of school - if I ever have a child...like I had helped her to develop enough curiosity and confidence to not only take it on, but to enjoy it and know that I'd be back in a few. It sounds like you two are great friends, and that is such a nice thing...(will continue to be, too, if my mom and I are any indication.) Glad it went so well.
Posted by: laurie | August 29, 2006 at 02:40 AM
She looks adorable - a really great very first day of school picture. Mine was taken right after school, while I had a face bursting (Will Forte doing Zell Miller) temper tantrum just because I didn't want my picture taken. I suppose it could be considered authentic.
Posted by: FlippyO | August 29, 2006 at 06:37 AM
That could be the cutest first day of school picture I have ever seen.
Posted by: Meghan | August 29, 2006 at 01:32 PM
It seems like the adage is true: the strings pull tighter every day, either because you love them a little bit bigger everyday, or because they go farther and farther away.
Either way, I'm tying mine to my leg - she's only one, she'll get used to it, lol.
Big congrats to you - this is just as much your accomplishment as M_'s!
Posted by: Kymba | August 29, 2006 at 02:51 PM
Aw, she looks so grown up. Snif.
Posted by: Very Mom | August 29, 2006 at 03:21 PM