KINDERGARTEN — READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME.

Tomorrow is the big day. We've been talking about it, reading about it, getting ready for it, celebrating it, and toasting it at dinner almost every night for the past month. I have heard wise parents who have walked this path before me, tell tales of tears, emotions run wild, hearts so full of pride, yet such a deep desperate longing that they can barely let go of little hands and wave good-bye. Last year this all seemed so foreign to me, so illogical and emotional, I thought to myself "well, I'm not going to be one of THOSE parents. Um, yeah. Right.

The past few days I've scrutinized my Mom routine, thought hard about everything I've said and done, made a deliberate effort to be very present in the details, knowing that my daughter is about to enter a brand new world, one that I'm not in, at least from 8:30 till 3:30 Monday through Friday. Did I spend enough time playing Polly Pockets? (cause I recall thinking "dear lord deliver me from the hell that is tiny plastic pink skirts and teeny, eeny bitty plastic shoes.") Did we read enough books? Should I have given out more hugs and kisses? Watched her do more tricks on the backyard swing set? Taken her to Isles Buns on a weekday morning a few more times than I did? Did I do enough to prepare her for the world she's about to step foot into?

When you see emotional parents on the first day of Kindergarten, dropping off the most precious people in their lives, rest assured, those are the thoughts going through their minds.

We are very lucky to have a K-8 Chinese Immersion school (Yinghua Academy) a short distance from our house, it suits Clara perfectly. And just as importantly, it's a great fit for Pete and I too. Directly after drop off, I'll be heading to local coffee shop for the school sponsored "Kleenex and Coffee" for parents of Kindergartners. It'll be nice to know that as Clara lets go of my hand and heads off to make new friends, I will be too.