And so it begins...

I dropped my four year old off for her first day of school today.  It is just pre-k and only two days a week, but it still has taken my breath away.  I have never left her with people I do not know, and had no intention of doing so anytime soon- even the idea of kindergarten next was enough to make my heart rate go up and head spin a few weeks ago.  I figured that I worked with her enough at home and judging by the checklist to get out of kindergarten, we were faring pretty well, just lacking some social interaction with children her age, and she was getting more of that at the library's story-time and beginning soccer.  Then she asked when she could start school.  And asked again the next day.  And the next day.  So I told her I would check into seeing if there were any schools that had any openings and waited on her to change her mind and say she didn't really want to go.  And I waited.  And waited.  And she never changed her mind.  I emailed a private preschool, and they had one opening left and asked us to come look around and meet them.  I expected her to maybe change her mind once we visited and she learned she would have to do lessons there too.  At this point, I wasn't sure if she would change her mind, but she had such a bad reaction to dance classes last year when I wasn't dropping her off, just sitting and waiting in a different room for her until she was done, I wouldn't have been surprised if she changed her mind.  She looked at the school and said she wanted to attend.  She remained excited all weekend long while we gathered school supplies and discussed what she would take to school to eat for lunch.  And today I watched her hang up her backpack and walk away to go play.  She is ready and seemingly was ready for it all along.  I, on the other hand, feel a little shell-shocked after seeing my little girl transform before my eyes.