The In-betweens

No one warns you about the in-between years. You know that the first days of preschool, kindergarten, Jr. high, and high school will be hard. You're prepared for those. You know that there will be tears, maybe because they are the "firsts". But no one tells you that the in-between years will be hard too. There is no forewarning of the tears and emotions that come with these milestones. Maybe it's just me, I'm not sure, but I'm having a hard accepting that my baby is a first grader. She will be in school all day this year. Last night, as I was packing her lunch, it hit me that she won't be home at lunchtime anymore. It hit me that my little girl is growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I laid in bed last night and cried, thinking of how fast it's going. I'm not sure how I am going to handle Cel going to preschool next week. I know it's all part of growing up, but somewhere in my mommy heart, I want them to stay babies forever.

Here's my first grader, in all her glory and cuteness!