Where has the time gone?

Yesterday was a little strange for me. My daughter had her first day of First Grade. It was just a little surreal...she's not really old enough for that is she? *I'm* not really old enough for a first grader...am I? Really? How can I have a first grader when I remember first grade so vividly?

I remember I started drying my own hair with the hair dryer and, well, didn't do a great job at it. I remember my mom actually explaining to my teacher why my hair looked like "that". I remember Jed almost setting our class on fire by holding a piece of paper over a candle on the teacher's desk. I remember Mrs. Kaberlein's face like I just saw her the other day (wait! I did see her the other day in Target...that was fun to introduce Emma to *my* First grade teacher). I remember the class put on a skit for our parents...the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. I think I was the tortoise...or maybe I just wanted to be. I remember our reading group was Nathan, Connie, Jason, Travis and I. I remember getting in trouble for racing Jason to be first to finish our desk work. I remember Dictation...I can still smell that paper!

So how can my first born be ready for all of this? How is it possible when she was just my little baby not long ago? Sometimes Maddie gives me moments of dejavu...Emma was so much fun at that age. She loved Dora and Blue's Clues, she was my constant companion and rarely threw a fit. Now...she chases the boys on the playground, sings Camp Rock songs all over the house, and thinks I'm the biggest dork alive. Except when she got off the bus yesterday and gave me a big hug. And what was even sweeter was Maddie lighting up when she saw Emma and running over to her for a hug. She missed her big sis! Carter missed her too...I think he was kind of bored yesterday.

Enough of the memories! Here are some pictures from yesterday when Emma got on the bus. Notice the Jonas Brothers shirt? She's had this outfit picked out for the first day for a couple of weeks!