Listen to the mustn’t s child listen to the don’t s

Listen to the shouldn’t s, the impossibles, and wont’s

Listen to the never have’s, then listen close to me,

ANYTHING can happen child, ANYTHING can be.

~ Shel Silverstein (from Where the sidewalk ends)

Where the Sidewalk Ends is my favorite children’s novel ever.  I cannot wait to sit and read it with my own kids.  With Owen going to school I realize that those times are SO close!!!

Last night as I was packing my first lunch box I was thinking to myself… nine years ago to the day I was packing… but for a very different thing.  I was packing a suitcase for a honeymoon.  I was packing for a wedding.  I was packing for a new life with Troy.  Last night, in many ways, I was packing for a new phase in our life, and as different as it was, it was almost the same.

Nine years ago I was packing for a honeymoon…. today I was packing a backpack and lunchbox.

Nine years ago I was tying ribbons on bubbles… today I was tying shoelaces.

Nine years ago I was driving a little white car… today I was driving a big white mini van.

Nine years ago we were not yet a family… today we are a family which is stronger than we ever imagined we could be.

Nine years ago if you had told me this is where I would be today… I would have said no way but today I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

It is very sentimental and I think NO coincidence that exactly nine years to the day that Troy and were married our first child spent his first day in Kindergarten.  No, it was not planned that way.  But today, August 12, 2009 was that day.  A day that was fun, exciting, scary, stressful, sentimental, emotional and happy all in one.  It was a day we will definitely not soon forget.

What kind of words do you use to describe such a huge day?  I don’t know what to be more proud of.  This is an anniversary that I have never appreciated more.  I truly understand what it means to say for better or worse and mean it.  But to watch my baby boy turn into a big boy and walk off into that school all by himself… no tears just a big old backpack stuffed full of school supplies… I could not find tears in me.  Just beaming pride.

We all drove in the wonder van to school and dropped Owen in the loop and allowed him to find his way to his own class.  I went behind him (about 5 minutes later) with the extra school supplies and snuck a few pictures.  While there were parents crying in our class I was certainly not one of them.  What is there really to cry about?  This is a stepping stone in life, a milestone that is to be celebrated and applauded!  This is the beginning of the rest of your life!  Congrats big “Odub” you made it through your first day and although you have affectionately termed school as “boring” I think you will do amazingly!

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