Faster Than An Elephant Stomps

Oh, can you hear my little heart breaking from your house?  I'll bet you can.

My Samantha...my baby girl.  She's growin' up on me.

She started preschool this week.  It's only for two days a week (a couple of hours each), but it signifies so much more to me.  

It seems like just 3 minutes ago that Ben and Clara were starting preschool at this very same school.  And now...now they have feet almost as big as mine, and they're doing crazy big kid stuff like reading and multiplying.

I know it will only be a blink from here to there for my little Sammy.  It's making it harder to let her go.

Besides...this is my Sammy.  My baby girl.  My sweet little snuggler, cookie maker, and sock sorter.  My quiet and gentle shadow.

Pretty dresses. Hair bows.  Silly songs and dances.  One last squeeze from Daddy before heading outside.

"Take a picture of my bag, Mama!"

She's so proud to be one of the big kids now.  Her big brother and sister have done this recently...no one had to tell her how to stand on the front stoop for her picture.

These little toes - they barely fit into these sandals.  I'll bet that when we try to put them on next spring, her toes will be hanging out the front of the sandal.  "Too wittow, Mama", she'll say.

All morning it was rush, rush, rush.  "Look at my pretty school dress, Mama"

"Are you and Dada both going to school with me?"

"Time to go now?"

"Time to go YET?"

And in the car..."Drive faster, Daddy.  Faster!  Faster than an elephant stomps!"

Where did that come from?  

When we finally got to school, she clung to my leg and squeezed my hand.  Now that she's a school kid, it was time to show her the "secret hand squeeze"...three squeezes for I-Love-You.  A secret way to say those three magic words without doing embarrassing hugs and kisses in school.  

What am I going to do when they're too old to hold my hand in public?  I'll be the one in the back winking three times to all four of my kids.  People will think I have a major eye tick going on!

Once she was certain that we weren't going to leave without her, she was a bit happier to enjoy all the fun things in her new classroom.  Playdough, water, and glue...oh my!

Time, it's speeding up.  Tick, tock, tick, tock.  Before you know it, my sweet Sammy, you'll be making cookies and sorting socks with your own little piggy-tailed shadow.  

"Faster than an elephant stomps."

Indeed.