All I Really Need To Know

And just like that she's gone.  Our house is a lot quieter this morning minus one smiling five year old face...

She brings a certain energy and her absence is going to take a little getting used to...

Her little sister is doing her best to keep me busy though...

A little time for just the two of us is already proving to be quite entertaining...

This morning we woke up before the sun and while Nate and I were getting ready Carter came in completely dressed which I think translates into, "I'm VERY excited for my first day of Kindergarten!"  Waffles were on the menu for breakfast...

And then it was time for me to document (a job we all know I take very seriously *smile*).  I took this photo last year on C's first day of Pre-K...

And I've decided it will be a fun one to duplicate year to year.  This year she is rockin' some Toms instead of Keds...

Ready to learn all she needs to know (poem by Robert Fulghum)...

A sparkly backpack will be her trusty sidekick for the year (once we saw this all other backpacks were dead to her)...

And then it was time...And she was ready...And I wasn't sure I was...but there was no turning back now...

So we walked her in.  Emme was along for the ride...

And flashing her "pretty" smile (which isn't very pretty at all)...

But that's okay, because she is beautiful...

We finally made our way to the door...

Once inside Carter found all the right spots for all her little things.  then she went to find her chair.  But right before she sat down she remembered her dad standing near the door and whispered, "I want to go tell daddy bye".  Then she confidently took her seat...

And then just like that it was over...and we left...and I wasn't sure I would cry (but of course I did).  How did this happen?  Suddenly she's so stinkin' grown up.  My mind is filled with a million little moments that we have shared over the past five almost six years of spending most of our waking minutes together.  I couldn't be prouder...really...I just wasn't quite ready to walk away.  Then again I don't know if I ever will be...