Me too, baby girl... me too.

My baby is in second grade already.  Where has the time gone?!?

Hobbit woke up at 6:45 this morning.  School didn't start for another three hours but she was up and I understood.  We had breakfast, watched a little television and got a nice slow start to the day.

Nudging me along, we left earlier than I wanted but it kept her calm so I was okay with it.  It wasn't by much, just about ten minutes or so. We parked at our new house and walked to the bus stop. Twenty minutes early - in the Florida heat. We melted a bit but I had enough forethought to bring along a bottle of water to share.

Then, the school bus appeared. Lots of hugs and kisses later, she queued up to climb the enormous stairs. She looked little for the first time in her academic career.  Then it happened, the part that broke my perky front that I had been wearing until she was far enough away that I could have my "first day of school" cry... she looked back at me with a weak smile, tears in her eyes and her chin quivered. 

All I could think of the while I did my best to keep the smile glued to my face was "Me too, baby girl... me too".