Same as it ever was

"And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?"

This song was running through my head yesterday as I sat in the Lake Anne Elementary school cafeteria listening to Emma's future principal talk about the class of 2022. (!) The school reminded me so much of my old elementary school--maybe it was just that they were both built in the 60's? Maybe all elementary schools just have that ineffable elementary school aura about them? I don't know...I'm new to this whole parent of a school-age child thing. I told Brandon that I had never felt like such a grown-up before in my entire life, never mind that I was drinking grape juice and eating animal crackers as I said this. Not even when they handed Emma to me wrapped up like a burrito in the delivery room, did I feel this much like a "parent." Maybe it's because I remember my own parents so well when they were at this stage of things? Is our minivan their station wagon with the wood paneling? Same as it ever was...

I think Emma is going to *LOVE* kindergarten. That is an understatement...I think she's going to luff it, lerve it. The school has an emphasis on learning through art, so every hallway, every surface of the school basically is covered with awesome kid art. I think I would rather see a bunch of kid art sometimes than go to a museum (that is a horrible sentence, sorry). I love seeing the worldview of kids through art. You can tell that this school encourages the really creative kind of art making and not the everyone-make-the-same-apple-tree kind of art making. I love that. I told Brandon that the halls of the school reminded me of our house. That's sort of what you want out of an elementary school isn't it? And a house, for that matter.

As we got in our large automobile to head home in the rain, I felt like my heart was as big as our backseat. I am so excited for what the future holds. How did we go from burrito-wrapped Emma to kindergarten Emma so quickly? If you stop too long to think about how sad it is that those years are gone, you'll miss everything. So, I'm consciously choosing excitement over sadness, anticipation over regret.

The other day we were walking to the Y and we saw a beautiful ____ tree in bloom (I don't really know my trees). I said to the kids, "look at that beautiful tree." Emma said, "That's the kind of flowers I want to have for my wedding." I laughed and said, "Your wedding! We're already talking about that!" And she said, "Yes, when I grow up, I'm going to get a husband and get married." And then Charlie said matter-of-factly, "And then you'll die." I nearly died laughing. I think this is how I imagined my life when I was little too. I pretty much thought: I'll grow up, get a husband, get married, have babies and then I'll die. I never really envisioned my baby's first day of kindergarten or watching my kids play soccer (another first that happened this week). I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure how I got here, but I'm glad I'm here.