08/10/2026
I just dropped off Willow Grace for her first day of kindergarten, and I honestly didn’t expect it to hit me as hard as it did.
Maybe it was because I couldn’t hug her goodbye at the door or walk her into her classroom. I absolutely love her school, but they only allow drive-up drop-off. She was so excited that she hopped out and didn’t even look back… and maybe that made it a little harder, too.
Now I’m driving to school to see all of my new kiddos with a huge lump in my throat, trying to hold it together. I’m not sure how long that’s going to last today.
I think part of it is realizing that my girls just aren’t so little anymore. They’re becoming more independent and slowly reaching that stage where they don’t need Mom for everything. I’m so proud of them, but there’s definitely a little sting that comes with watching it happen.
Willow was so excited for kindergarten that she even wanted to pack her own lunch. I told her she could, but that Mom still had to check it before we left. When I opened her lunchbox this morning, I found a big Ziploc bag with THREE Cheetos in it, another bag with strawberries, and a yogurt. That was it. 😂
It made me laugh, but somehow it made me a little sad, too. She’s growing up. My last baby isn’t really a baby anymore.
I’m so excited to watch Willow grow and to continue watching all of my daughters become their own little people. But I’d be lying if I said watching them grow up doesn’t sting a little.
To all the kids starting a new school year, I hope this year is filled with amazing teachers, new friendships, lots of learning, and memories they’ll carry with them.
And to all the parents dropping off their babies—whether it’s preschool, kindergarten, middle school, or high school—give yourself a little grace on the hard days. Watching them grow is exactly what we want for them, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy on us.
We’re all in this together.
Happy first day of school, everyone. ❤️