Spread Your Wings..

Well, another one has left the nest. Tuesday was Tatelyn's first day of preschool. She was really excited. She had on a cute new outfit, new earrings and a My Little Pony backpack. Her school is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:30-3:30. I took the day off so I could take and pick her up. Ott also had the day off. At 1:15, Ott, Tesse and I drove (Tate didn't want to walk) her to school and took a few pictures of her. When I took her into her class, she found her cubby and put away her backpack and jacket. Her teacher had her find a board with her name written on it and a place for her to trace her name under it. She sat down and immediately went to tracing.



She didn't even say goodbye to me! The teacher (Miss Allison) had previously asked all parents not to stay so the kids could get use to staying at school alone. I stood there waiting, helplessly, waiting for some kind of clue from her that she loved me and would miss me. NONE. NOTHING. Ott (from outside the door) said "Are you EVER going to leave?" I suddenly started to feel panicky and my breaths started coming faster and shallower. "Are you going to kiss me goodbye?" I asked her as I bent down to the wee desk. Without lifting her eyes from her paper, she half turned her mouth and puckered up what was a sad excuse for a kiss. I stood, walked out and tossed a longing look over my shoulder. I had a strange feeling that I should go back in and get her. Just then, Tesse, her big eyes welling up with tears and bottom lip quivering said "I want Tate-Tin." It took all the strength in me to hold back what surely would have been a full blown panic attack. (Even though I have never had one, I know that that's what it would be like.) I walked back to the car with a heavy heart and sat quietly during the short trip to Walmart. I looked back into our big car that seemed sadly empty with only one lousy kid and saw Tesse, her eyes still wet, hugging her baby doll so tightly over and over again. Being the youngest of 4, she never gets the opportunity to be an "only child" and I don't think she was crazy about the whole idea of it. Over and over she hugged that doll. I think she was secretly thinking (pretending?) it was Tatelyn. Truth be told, I wanted to grab it and hug it and pretend too.

Aw, motherhood. The early days are spent hoping and longing for the day when off to school they go leaving some time and energy for yourself, but sadly, those days come too fast and you start wishing that time went a little slower and that they would stay small a little longer....

When we picked up Tate that day, she informed us that she liked school alot. She played alot and made 2 friends. Which were both boys. She told us that there are only 2 girls and the rest were boys. Well, it's official. Tatelyn Kense Vongsavath is a preschooler, no longer her mommy's (or more accurately her Pho Pho's) baby.

Spread your wings...