First day of the rest of her life.

leah and mrs. bumstead- first day of kindergarten 2012-2013

oh, leah.
how i love this feisty child.
i think jakob, my oldest, wore a button down shirt with a tie his first day of kindergarten.
leah is my fifth to start school.
she picked her own outfit-- leopard pants that she got for her birthday.
"because they're the fastest," she explained as i was trying to distract her into picking a sweet skirt with buckle shoes.
i have to pause here and tell you, there was a time that i might have dreamed of 5 little girls wearing peter pan collars or smocked dresses with buckle shoes.
today, i LOVE that they are all so different.

doesn't she look fast?  yes-siree!

i LOVED leah's cheetah pants.
I also have to say-- we have both a spirit and a body.
i know it.
their bodies are small and young, but their spirits are old.
these children may have inherited my eyes-- but their spirits are UNIQUELY theirs.
nature is strong. nurture is not defining, only encouraging or hindering.
leah has taught me much.
a mother's role is not to create a person-- it is to get to know a soul and find ways to nurture in them the goodness that they have always had.
we are discovers NOT inventors.
(actually-- all inventors are discovers anyway, truth is eternal. But, that is a topic for another day.)
i pray daily to really SEE these kids.
i want to see her as she can be...

even my middle school boys brought apple gifts for their first period teacher.
i just picked up some apple hand soap from the dollar store.

I will always remember leopard pants, cheetah backpack, an apple and apple soap in her hand, and a BIG smile on her face.
she asked 100 times if i was going to walk her into her classroom.
we hadn't even arrived at the door before she was explaining that she did NOT need me to walk her to her classroom every day, now that she knew where it was.

i watched her find her seat, sit down to color (a horse, of course), and as i was walking towards the door, she discovered the shelf of books.

i stood for a long time watching outside the door.
my eyes were teary.
i wasn't sad-- i was overflowing with love and HOPE.

i always kiss my kids hand with lipstick so they have some love to remember throughout the day.

books!  that's my girl.

how i hope for that girl.
i hope she will ever love learning.
i hope she will be kind and quick to obey.
she is a BIG spirit.  full of life.
she will be something-- may i guide her with wisdom to be something good.

as i sat looking in, an aide came by and hugged my shoulders.
we chatted for awhile and she could see my teary eyes.
she gingerly asked, "is this your first?"
i love when that happens.
"nope, not my first.  but loved like an only child would be."
i have always wanted seven children and each an only child.

leah begged to ride the bus home.
and, i thought kindergarten only afternoon bus would be fun.
todd had spent the morning home, so i could spend the morning peering into leah's class.
her kindergarten starts at 8:15 and gets out at 10:30 or 10:55 depending on the day.
{it is scarcely more than a preschool.  it's actually LESS than most preschools.}

we waited at the bus stop until she finally pulled up, and just like that she was home again.
home, and just a bit OLDER.

the report i got from her teacher the next morning was that "Leah was great.  I did have to remove her from the books a few times, but other than that she was great."
i heard a full report when she got home.
her teacher is nice.
she sings the days of the week song differently than we do.
and, can i pack her a lunch box to eat at snack time?

while leah was at school, lily said often, "why does leah have to go to school?  i will miss her so much.  i wish we could play together."
i always love the year when one of my younger children becomes the oldest at home.
it is a big year.
lily, eve, and i have had fun together at home.
we paint, and play play-doh, and clean the house together.

life is good.
and as much as i wish i could keep my little ones little forever,
i LOVE watching them grow and become.

 i do love these seasons of life.
And, leopard pants, i love them too!