Dear Cora and Issa,
Sometimes I do this weird thing where I see a baby on the street and think how much that mom and I have in common. Then I turn my gaze down to you and see that, in fact, I don’t. I don’t have babies with squishy leg rolls and tummies full of pureed carrots. I don’t have (as many) sleepless nights, and I don’t have to lug a car seat into the store every time we need more diapers. Heck, I don’t even have to change diapers anymore!
What I do have, however, are two big girls with bright eyes and a beautiful chaos I wouldn’t trade for anything. I have a first grader and a preschooler, as of this morning. I have a daughter who popped out of bed before I did and was dressed before the sun came up. And I have another daughter who still took her sweet time waking up before her first day of school. You are both different and the same in so many ways. You play together, you fight together. You walked into your classrooms and never looked back.
Cora, you just decided last Saturday you wanted to chop your hair to your shoulders, and I swear you grew up 10 years. You are so tender, conscientious, and make friends so easily. Issa, your crazy curls and I have just become friends recently, and it cracks me up that you are so passionate about which dress to wear each day already. I asked you if you were going to listen to your teacher this morning and you feistily replied, “No!” We are going to have to work on that…lol.
I love each of you so fiercely, sometimes I forget you’re not my babies anymore. You were never going to be mine forever. It’s not a fun realization, to acknowledge that you’re no longer needed, but I will still hold on to your bright smiles when I pick you up this afternoon. You are my precious daughters, no matter how big you get. Remember there is nothing you could say or do to make me love you less. Whether it’s playground drama today, or big stuff down the road. I love you.
XO,
A
P.S. Shout out to Baked Goodness for the first day teacher presents! What educator doesn’t need a giant sugar cookie to make their first day a little sweeter?!
