Kindergarten

Every day Nina comes home from school and tells us about what she did there. When she wakes up, she's smiling or singing or talking to Molly the Dog before we get ready for school. When she goes to sleep, she's smiling and snugly and trying to get me to sleep in bed with her. We read a lot of books before bed. She has so many that I think I need to build a book shelf in her bedroom! Every day, Nina learns new things and every day she experiences new adventures. Every day she is growing more and more and before my very eyes, she's becoming her own little person.

Nina has this incredible ability to make people happy. If you're on antidepressants, no need. Just spend a couple of weeks with this little gal and you'll be rejuvenated. She's happy, she's caring, she's loving, she's funny, and she would take the tiny shirt off of her tiny back to give to you if you were cold. Of course it would probably only cover a part of your arm, but nonetheless, she would give it if it made you just a little bit warmer. I like to think of Nina as the sun. She's the center of my universe. I know there are an infinite amount of possibilities of where and what the center of the universe is, but the sun is the brightest. She is the brightest star in my world.

This morning when Nina woke up for school, I heard her talking to Molly the Dog. She was snuggling on her (I know because she's always hanging on Molly and Molly savors every moment) and telling her how much she loves her. She talks in this sweet, little protective Mom voice. One day she told her, "I don't care if you ever do anything bad Molly, I will always love you and forgive you." I feel like this will be the case with people in her life as well. If Nina truly loves someone, she won't care what they have done... she will always love them. And if that is the case, she will have taken after her Mother and while it is a beautiful sentiment, it is a blessing and a curse. I'm quickly approaching thirty years old and I have only begun to learn who is worth keeping in my life and who is not. I hope she is wiser than me in that aspect. I believe it will save her from a lot of heart ache. But maybe she will just be stronger than me instead. I like to think it's the latter.

They made me the classroom Mom for Nina's class. I've gotten to know Nina's teacher, some of her friends, some parents, and the school staff. I'm very grateful to be a part of this and to be a part of her childhood memories in this way. Hey, maybe next year I'll trade my Civic Si in for a minivan (barf). But seriously though, I've actually considered it. I cart most of the kids around as it is anyway. ;)

Nina has a school dance coming up. Yeah I know. A school dance in Kindergarten.... weird. She's dressing up as Elsa from Frozen as is her friend Danielle and I'm sure every other little girl in school. But she's going to be the most beautiful Elsa because she's just that beautiful inside and out. <3 I am helping to decorate and chaperoning it and also chaperoning her school trip and also doing the Halloween craft with her class. Ha. I've got my plate full of Nina and I couldn't be happier with how full it is.

She comes home from school and talks about her friends and what they talk about and what they laugh about and it fills my heart with the most happiness I have ever felt. I thank the universe every day that Nina chose me to be her Mother. She is my sun, my moon, my stars.

I love you Nina Marie

Love,
Mom

Today was the day. Today my baby girl started her first day of school. She has so many years ahead of her and so many new experiences to look forward to. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be letting her little hand go, although a huge part of me wanted to hold it forever. She left Baby and Babbette behind (I know, right?), didn’t shed one tear and gave an *I’m really excited to start school see ya later kind of bye to her Dad and me. She is growing up before our very eyes and it was apparently so today. Two and a half hours. That’s what I keep telling myself. In two and a half hours I will hear all about her first day of school.

Let me back up to yesterday because yesterday is certainly worth noting. Yesterday was kindergarten orientation. We met her teacher and some of the other parents and students while figuring our way about the classroom and school. After a little while we all met outside to where a bus would take our children for a quick ride around the block so they could get used to riding on it. While waiting for the bus to arrive, we saw a little kid running really fast and really far away from his Mom. Before we knew it, he was all the way in a baseball field.  I call him the “I’m out of here kid.” He obviously wanted nothing to do with a bus or school or any other kids.

Then there was the sad kid. I actually thought there would be a lot more upset and crying kindergartners than there were. As soon as all the kids were on the bus and the bus driver was about to shut the door, here comes the sad kid, tears streaming down his face, snot bubbles escaping from his nose at lightning speed. The poor kid was a mess. I wanted to hug him and wipe those snot boogies away and tell him that it might seem bad now, but it won’t always feel this way. We saw that same kid today outside of the kindergarten drop off hysterical again. Nina looked up at me and asked me why he was crying. I was afraid to tell her that he was scared and didn’t want to leave his Mommy because I thought she would take a cue from him and react in the same way. I decided to take the risk. I told her exactly that… that he was afraid. I told her she should go introduce herself and I could tell she wanted to because I could tell she didn’t want to see him cry. But Nina is a shy young lady (young lady?!) at first. She could not WAIT to get in that building. It filled my heart with such happiness to see how excited she was to start this new journey.

While walking back to my car, we saw the “I’m out of here kid” laying down in the middle of the parking lot throwing a fit. Richie and I just laughed. I feel like thanking the “I’m out of here kid” for making this experience a little less hard. Maybe I’ll thank his Mom tomorrow for raising such an entertaining child. Haha.

I Joined the PTO, signed up as a volunteer for sporting events and holiday parties and all that jazz. I’m ready! Let’s make some cupcakes and brownies and have sleepovers and drive the carpool (the carpool thing may be taking it a little too far…) and live to make our children happy. If we do that, we’ve done alright.

To my beautiful daughter Nina: You make me so proud. I couldn't be more proud of you than I was today when you walked inside that building with your head held high. You have the brightest future and we are so blessed to have you.

Your loving Mum

Time goes by so very fast. I would get down on my knees and beg and plead with it to slow down a bit if I knew it would listen. It seems like just yesterday my daughter Nina was born but in reality, it was five and a half years ago. Tomorrow she’ll be ten and the day after she’ll be fifteen and I’m just not ready for that yet.

I was watching videos of her when she was a baby yesterday. I watched a video of the first time she ate real food. Her eyes were so big I thought they were going to pop out of her little head and the amount of sweet potatoes on her face was probably even with the amount that went in her mouth. I watched a video of the first time she actually walked, which my brother somehow managed to get on tape. I watched a video of her going to the bathroom on her Elmo Potty and how proud of herself she was. I am so happy that I have all of these memories that I can relive. Watching them with her is even better. She laughs like a little maniac and tells me how funny she is. For a five year old, she’s pretty funny. About a month ago we were driving and the sky looked like it was going to unleash a storm of epic proportions. She said, “Mommy, the sky looks like it has to go potty real bad.” Maybe it was the way she said it, or maybe it was just her not trying to be funny and her total innocence; but I laughed so hard I had to pull over.

Nina is smart. She shows me how to work youtube and my cell phone. She speaks to me in Spanish (thanks Dora). She knows the wisdom of Martial Arts. She is counting and adding and reading like she’s in elementary school. She understands people and their feelings. I am boasting, that’s for sure; but I am amazed by this child every day.

My Daughter has this uncanny ability to make people feel better. She can sense when something is wrong, whether it be one of her friends or one of her family members. She goes above and beyond trying to help people to be happy. Not too long ago I dropped a dish on my toe which ended in a lot of blood, some screaming, and a broken appendage. Nina ran over to me on her little tippy toes which she has been doing since she could walk, put her arms around me and said, “Come on Mommy… I’ll take care of you.” She got a chair, dragged it over to the refrigerator, climbed on top of it and got me an ice pack from the freezer. Then she got a pillow and a blanket and put it on the couch and very calmly told me to lay down, put my foot up and relax. I didn’t feel like I was being helped by a five year old little girl. I felt like I was being helped by the most caring and selfless nurse I have ever met. Nina is so wise, certainly beyond her years and that amazes me too.

Yesterday, Nina’s friend came over to play. They were out on the deck blowing bubbles. Her friend asked if she could do it and Nina immediately handed it over to her, no questions asked, no snotty looks. Nina sent her home with her favorite monkey doll which emulates a real monkey and is actually kind of creepy. She remembered her friend telling her that she saw the commercial for it and really wanted one. She was going to let her have it before I intervened and said how about she just borrows it. That was good enough for them. Nina is a giver. That’s not something that will ever ago away. That’s how she was born and her altruistic nature will never falter. I just hope as she gets older, people don’t take advantage of her kindness. I know just how awful that feels and it would feel even more awful if I had to see her go through that. Maybe it’s a genetic flaw, but some people in our family have always had a difficult time standing up for themselves. I pray Nina is the opposite. Somehow I know she will be stronger than her Mom. After all, our children are supposed to be better versions of us, right?

To be continued my love. I'm sorry I haven't written in here as much as I should be. 

Your loving Mum