Normally when I drop Katie off at school, I use carpool. She’s happy when she gets out of the car for carpool– there are enough people there fussing over her and it is exciting enough that she forgets that she doesn’t like to leave me. I learned to do this the hard way, after many, many incidents of tears and her clinging to me amazing force. It was not pretty, and even though I knew that she was happy moments after I left and really enjoyed school and her friends, it was hard.
Yesterday morning, I really didn’t have a choice. It was Katie’s snack week, so we had a second bag filled with enough snacks for 9 children for 4 days. And we had her art project, Flat Katie, a life-size, well decorated cut out. I had to walk her to the classroom. She looked at me a little funny when we got in, and I handed her her school bag and asked her to hang it up. She did it happily, then went to talk to her teacher. Eventually, I got a quick kiss and a perfunctory “bye” while she busied herself with her morning.
It actually took me a minute to realize that was it. There were going to be no tears. She wasn’t going to ask me to stay. She was ready for me to be gone so she could have her morning with her friends. What a happy milestone! What a big girl! I am so happy for her!
My baby is growing up! 
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