The Mother of a Second Grader!

I’m not sure yet what this year will look like or how it will go, but no matter what I am officially the mother of a second grader! And I feel old. But I’m not! I gave birth to Alexandria at the ripe old age of 22 making me one of the younger moms. But, I’m used to that by now. It’s hard to believe my first born is almost halfway through elementary school! It really does seem like not that long ago that I was dropping her off at daycare for the first time at 2 yrs old. I remember so vividly hearing her scream “mama” as I made my way down the hallway and out of the building. Then a year later when I started her at a new preschool here in Waco… her little three year old legs were shaking because she was nervous and I held her hand until the very last minute. I drove out of the parking lot with tears in my eyes. It’s the huge paradox of parenting. We hold on so tightly to protect, love, and teach only in the end to be able to let go.

So Kindergarten started much the same, she was nervous and I held her hand until the last minute. Then when she started first grade, she was also starting at Axtell (where she’ll be the rest of her school years). Abel and I were both able to take her that first day. She went in, we spoke to the teacher, she found her seat and smiled at us. We hugged her and told her to have a good day and left. I saw a few moms lingering and taking pictures and a stab of guilt hit me. Then I thought, “well, we’ve been through this a few times already”, “she knows she goes to school and we’ll be here to get her at the end of the day”. She’s okay.

I’m expecting the first day of second grade to go the same way. And, this time she’ll see old friends when she enters the classroom. I’m not sure what this year will be like for us. I know first grade was filled with an hour of assigned homework every evening, PTA performances, field trips, and disputes with friends on the playground. I’m thinking second grade will be much the same…. but with harder math.