My Oldest Cutie Patootie's 1st Day

For all of you who told me not to cry today - I didn't, but boy did I get a lump in my throat. She made me proud. She hung her Hello Kitty backpack up on the hook, walked into a classroom of new kids (most speaking Spanish at the time), sat down and never looked back. I was holding Mattie (who was sleeping peacefully on my shoulder) and realized that all too soon I would have to let her go, too. For all the stress I have associated with a messy house, constant laundry, changing diapers, playing chauffeur, and staying consistent at every turn, I wouldn't trade it for all the riches of this world!
It happened so gradually. I was just rocking Ellie to sleep yesterday in a small apartment, telling her she needed to stop growing and the world needed to stop spinning so I could take it all in.