The time has come...

Well the time has come.  Registration is complete, doctors visits are done, the supplies are bought and time has won.  My babies are off to kindergarten tomorrow and this momma is so full of mixed emotions I cannot stand it.

We have delivered our supplies, met our teacher and some new friends, made sure we know where to go, saw where we will eat, lunches are packed, papers are complete, back packs are ready and my babies are asleep.  But yet I sit here and just remember the day we brought them home, Maggie first at 4lbs. then Caden 9 days later, she tells him all the time he had to stay in the hospital while she got to come home, but I am off topic. 

Our biggest decisions and questions tonight:
Maggie:

• "what time do I have to get up?" She wants to go but wants to sleep in as well. 
• Choosing the outfit, pretty easy decision, she amazingly went with my pick, nothing fancy.  She has requested a bow in her hair though to make her cute (her words not mine)!
• Lunch choice: packing with turkey roll ups, applesauce, granola bar, fruit snack and she will buy milk, but really wants chocolate milk.

Caden:

• Do we take his blanket or leave it?  His questions, "do we take naps?" yes son you rest.  "does it look like a baby?" how about we hide it just in case you get nervous.  His decision we will hide it in the secret pocket in his backpack just in case, but only one not two like we usually carry.
• Lunch choice: packing with dinosaurs spaghetti to go in his thermos, applesauce, pretzel crisps, fruit snacks and he will buy milk, but doesn't know what to do yet.  I reassured him they will help him out tomorrow.
• Outfit, he is a boy and doesn't really care

After bathes I caught Maggie singing a song about starting school and kindergarten, she is so excited.  Caden packed the most healthiest lunch I have seen him choose in a long time, we will see if he eats it but it's a start.  He cannot wait to see his friends.  I did see a little worry in his face tonight but overall he is super excited.

Me? How do I feel?  Well I am proud of them, they are smart little people who have learned a ton over the last couple of years.  Sad they are growing up too fast, I want time to slow down.  Tired from a long week of work. Excited because we have made it this far into their lives and we are all still standing and love each other more everyday.  Worried, wondering if they will be okay in that big school, relieved that their teacher seems great and they are with Mrs. Albright, she will make sure they are fine. 
I am excited to hear about their day once it is over, I know they will be fine and will have fun and do great, after all they are pretty amazing little people but I still cannot help to wonder.

How are Cale and Mallory feeling about being at school by themselves?  Well excited to move downstairs to the big kids classroom.  However, Mallory did say she will miss them and wants to go "hang out" at their new school!

We have to thank Ms. Lauren, she has helped them to be prepared for this day in more ways than we can count and has done an amazing job with them all.  She has loved my kids and I am not sure who is more sad for the day to come, her, us or Maggie.  Doodle wants Ms. Lauren to go to kindergarten with her! 
Thank you Lauren for being a HUGE part of their lives over the last couple of years and helping them to be ready for this first big day.

I am okay, tomorrow is a new day, a new chapter in our ongoing lives.  An exciting chapter!  One that I was not sure would ever get here when I was very pregnant on a hot August Day what seems like forever ago!

Caden and Maggie, I love you.  I am excited for you, I am proud of you, I will be thinking about you and I cannot wait to hear how your day went!

Go get'em kiddos!

A Child's Accomplishments - SHE DID IT!

"I DID IT!" those were the words of excitement coming from our Miss Maggie tonight as she scored her first ever goal in soccer tonight and I could not have been happier or more proud to watch this reaction from my little girl who second guesses everything she does. 
She wants to be good at so many things, she wants her work to be perfect, she will stress about how things look, how much she can do, if there are too many people watching will she do okay during dance, with all of those people at the game there is no way she thought she could score a goal.  These are the thoughts running through my little person's head at all times. But she did what she was not sure she could do and she celebrated. 

Just last night as she lay in bed she was talking with me about their game tonight, she was nervous, she knew she had learned a lot over the last year, scored some goals in practice but she did not think she could do it during the game.  I told her she just had to try hard and work at it with her teammates and that I was sure they would score many goals. 

She broke away during the second quarter and was running hard, but the goalie for the other team was good and made the stop.  She was mad, I could see it but she did not give up.  She played hard, tried to keep pushing to the goal and then finally during the fourth quarter she did it.  She put that ball in the net and celebrated with the enthusiasm that was deserving of a major accomplishment when you were not sure you could do it.  She promptly looked around to see who saw it, I gave her a thumbs up and she went running to daddy on the sideline to receive a big old hug before coming back into the game.  I teared up, a new emotion to see from her and to experience as a parent, I LOVED it all. 

This was her first ever goal, she has played soccer for a year and just was never aggressive, this year is different.  She says it is because they have more girls than boys on the team, I think it may have something to do with the fact she is almost 6 and is just growing up.  We really were not sure that Maggie would be a sports girl but maybe just maybe she will prove our thoughts wrong. 

Caden scored too, he was excited but a little more reserved on his celebration!  It wasn't his first ever goal, that came earlier in the year during indoor soccer, but I missed it, I was in the bathroom with Mallory and Cale - just the life of a mom of 4 little kids, multitasking and missing a few things that happen. 

The green machine did good tonight, they played hard, played well together and really looked like a young team who knows what they are doing.  Sure we picked the grass, hugged our friends and were entertaining each other on the sidelines but they are kids who are 4 and 5 - what do you expect.  Every parent was cheering for the team and supporting the kids, that is what I loved! 

It was a fun night, one I am glad I did not miss.  No I cannot be at all things my kids do but when you get to witness moments like these it reminds you of so many things and makes you appreciate the time you do get with your kids.

This is a big week, kindergarten starts on Thursday, I am an emotional mess but they are excited, more to come later this week!