She learned from her big sister.

I washed and dried Emma’s hair tonight in preparation for her first day of kindergarten tomorrow. She’s five-years-old and the skinniest thing you’ve ever seen. When she sits in my lap it’s like holding a human Transformer, she folds her arms and legs up and disappears into nothing. She’s tiny. She’s not my youngest, but she’s still my baby.

“MOMMA!” She yelled over the hair dryer, “AUBWEY SAID DAT AT HER SCHOOL..”

I flipped the hair dryer off so she could talk.

“At her school, da wights go on and off by dereselves and it is WEALLY spooky!” Her eyes were huge.

Are they going to correct her speech at Big School? Because for the last five years I haven’t had the heart to tell her to say “Lah-lah, LIGHT,” instead of “wight,” or “That,” instead of “Dat.” I realize she has to grow up, but I won’t make her.

“She was just messing with you, baby. It’s not spooky there.” I assured her.

Emma laughed nervously, “Yeah. I know.”

We were sitting at the kitchen counter for a quick snack before bed, again Emma turned to me with her Serious Eyes, “Momma, if you are wate for school they call you a tardy, right?”

I snorted a little milk out my nose. “Not exactly. You ARE tardy if you are late, but nobody calls you that.”

“Oh, haha. Wight. I knew dat.” She smiled.

I asked her before she went to bed, “Are you nervous or just excited?”

“I’m so excited! I can’t wait to wearn all kinds of stuff!”

“Like what?”

“I want to take a nap on my mat and see Aubwey in da wunchroom. And I want to learn what 2+2 is AND what 2 MINUS 2 is…”

That IS pretty exciting stuff. I hope the suspense doesn’t keep her up all night.

What are your kids most excited about for the school year?