Today is your day

Harps, it’s my job to remember all the bits that you won’t growing up and today was a big one. You started School. FINALLY. After asking me over and over if it was Thursday yet, it was and the time was here. It was cold this morning, unseasonably for late January with an autumnal chill in the air. We were both up early, ready for the day ahead.

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There were lunch boxes to pack, bags to line up, stuff to get ready and ready you did. You refused help from your Dad because you can do it by your self-es, you think we would have worked that out by now. I had to keep turning away from you cause the hot tears kept coming and pricking my eyes. Your big sister was excited for you, telling you this and that and how things work. There were calls to take from Grandma, photos to take and then we were off.

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We stopped off to see your friends Ruby and Arkie who came to see you through the gate, and then you were in and off. Bags up, play time and then assembly without a second thought. You are ready for School my love, so ready.

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As your Dad said to me this morning, we’ve done good him and I. Two girls big and ready to School. I said to him that it’s all ONLY ok because I can feel your little sister or brother kicking away, so I know we don’t have to let you all grow up just yet.

I can’t get the words out properly or see the letters to type through my tears sweet girl. I, we are so proud of you. The big, smart, funny, stubborn, sweet girl that you are. You have been my baby for so long now, and now it’s time to let you go. And that’s OK, we’re ready. I hope school is everything you want it to be. A place of fun and friendship of learning about the world. I hope you’re not too pissed off this afternoon when you realise that you still can’t read yet. It will come. Be brave, be happy, be patient and kind to yourself and others. Challenge yourself, and never stop being the beautiful sweet soul that you are. That School is lucky to have you Harper. We all are.

“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”

And for all the other Mums and Dads out there with little ones starting today, here’s a tissue and a virtual back rub for you. You’ve done good, so good. Look at them go…!

Comments

  1. Oh Beth! I have tears in my eyes imagining when it’s our turn. Well done Mama, big hugs xxxx

  2. OK thanks for making me bawl on a sunny Thursday morning… and mine haven’t even gone back yet. Good luck Harper… knock em for six you little legend xx

  3. Such beautiful words & how lovely of you & Rob to have made this such a special occasion for your gorgeous girl. I’m tearing up with you, so much emotion in this post!! School seems forever away when you are in the throes of the ‘two’ but somehow posts like this remind me how fast children grow up. How wonderfully excited Harper will be to tell you all about her first day as a big school girl. Now that’s going to be something amazing.

  4. Oh this made me cry! I made calls to enquire about putting my baby girl into daycare yesterday. Tears galore. And now again! I’m a crying fool!

  5. …..and now I have tears! But mine are in Years 10 (WTF?? sure I was just in Year 10), Year 6 and Year 4. My little bloke is school captain this year, so I told him to rally his other school captain and head over to the kindy side to have a chat and make sure all the littlies feel comfortable (and their mums and dads too!) Goes way too fast… just STOP TIME now please!
    Harper looks adorable….. hope she has the very bestest day – and you too – all by your self-es!

  6. Ohhhh hot tears here too, what a beautiful post. My baby is Starting Grade 6 next Monday and I remember her first day as if it were yesterday. You have put into words EXACTLY how I felt. Man this job of being a mum is a roller coaster! Keep the tissues handy all day Beth x

  7. Gaye McDonald says

    Hi Beth, am sitting here with hot tears myself. Your girls are truly beautiful!
    As a Mumma to a 24 year old son, who is now a Dad himself & a 19 year old
    daughter – those proud tears come even more, not just for our amazing kids
    but our oh so handsome, cute, clever, funny……..grandson. I could keep going
    on and on he he!! We all LOVE him so much!! Wishing you & your husband all
    the very best for today – Harper will run through your door so happily this afternoon.
    Gaye XX (Yes, I am a young GG – Granny Gaye). He he

  8. Lots of love Beth. Such a big day. xx

  9. Why am I crying when Harps isn’t even my kid?!

    The kid who was my baby for 10 years starts high school on Monday. It’s too soon & the right time all at once. This growing babies & then watching them step into new worlds is exciting & sad & scary & heart bursting isn’t it ?

  10. This made me cry, bringing back those days when our two boys went off to school. It’s been 30 years since the “baby” left for that first day of school.

    So well written, Beth. I hope Harper gets to read it some day.

  11. Such a special day for you and your family. My “little” boys are 29 and 25 and I will never forget their first day at school. I become emotional at this time every year when I see the “kindies” start their wonderful unknown adventure and think of all the amazing experiences which lay before them. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

  12. Fiona Guglielmi says

    Oh Beth, sitting here reading your post made me smile and cry at the same time. For us school starts tomorrow, back to the routine.

  13. Kate Fleming says

    Thanks Beth, we saw our baby boy off to school for the first time this week and I was feeling all the feels too. Such a big time for them, and us as parents, sending them out into the big wide world. xx

  14. Kim Coulson says

    Beautifully written Beth. I dropped my big girl off this morning and the hot tears are still welling, thanks for the back rub. We did do good, really good!

  15. so beautiful. Such sweet words!

  16. Oh Beth, this post takes me back, way back when my baby started school. Good on you Mumma on a job well done. May your little/big girl spread her wings and fly, and experience all the wonders of this world. xx

  17. Jackie Clark says

    My baby starts tomorrow and I spent my whole shower this morning crying as this is our last day together. Willow is super excited and like you I have to keep walking out or turning my back as the tears start to flow. I think I will be an even bigger mess tomorrow morning. Thinking of you today Xx

  18. That was beautiful almost like reading a memoir in the future…precious words x

  19. I want to be Harper!!
    Crying now… those words of love and affirmation, of pride and confidence.
    Shit Beth, you haven’t just done good, you’re doing BRILLIANTLY.
    Your girls are ready because you and Rob got them ready – you love them and believe in them and I reckon you even tell them that from time to time, when they aren’t fighting in the car.
    I am almost 47 years old and I have no memories of these kinds of words being said to or about me as a kid.
    Powerful, powerful stuff.
    I want to look over Harper’s shoulder when she reads BabyMac in 20 years’ time. Archive this, now!!
    Oh, you’ve really made my morning.
    Thank you.

  20. Oh flip, Beth. I’m crying like a baby over here! Beautiful, my love. What a special record for Harps. I hope she has an ace day today and many awesome school years ahead. x

  21. Tears at my desk, at work.
    Beautifully Written. Beautiful shots and she will love looking back on this in years to come!

    Our turn Monday with Miss 5. We’re ready but not ready! Well, she is but I’m totally not. Xx

  22. Another beautiful post Beth… that I shouldn’t have read at work because I am now crying at my desk! I hope Harper has the most amazing first day! I bet you can’t wait to pick her up and hear all about it.

  23. Hi Beth. My baby boy left this morning to his first day at a full time job as a barista. He was as nervous as he was when he first started school. I cried when he left as he seemed too young to be going off into the world as a working man. He is 18 soon and the last one left in the nest. Harper has so many great years of school ahead of her. I hope she enjoys the ride.

  24. Awww, you made me tear up and I don’t even have school-aged kids yet! It’s ahead though and I can only imagine..

  25. I was looking forward to reading your post about Harper’s first day of school, and boy what a beauty it was Beth! Thank you. This will be me in 12 months time, and I am already dreading it. I know those hot tears will be coming every day next January until the big day finally comes. I hope Harper has the best day ever. Big love x

  26. Beautiful Beth, just beautiful xx

  27. This was me Tuesday. Such a big day. Sweet, sweet words Beth.

  28. Awwh. Am sure it was a great day! Lucky second plus children have big brothers/sisters to watch over them. I was a mess 6 years ago when they final one went to school; now they virtually ignore the olds in the morning and get off to their schools by themselves. (2nd day running late for the 16 year old but he tell me the train made it just in time….). A whole, long, quiet day to yourself… for a while at least. Enjoy.

  29. What beautiful words. I am crying like a little baby. My baby girl started grade 5 today, I still don’t know how she got to grade 5 so quickly. I made her let me tie her shoelaces this morning, because I was feeling so un-needed. Her big brother starts secondary school on Monday and I can’t even think about it yet, as I get too emotional. When did they grow up and stop needing me?
    I hope Harper has a wonderful day!

  30. Long time follower first time commenter (love your recipes). What a beautiful post, you made me cry, oh the memories. I have 2 adult boys 22 and 28 and I remember tearing up when they went off to school and the empty house feeling when you come home after the youngest heads off to school. Wait until they leave home.

  31. I’m at work and had to stop reading and pretend to forage in my drawer cos the tears sprung up! Remember this so well with my 3, specially my last who finished year 12 last year. The time flies, Beth, keep building those precious memories and watching your girls fly

  32. Struggling to see the keys on the keyboard myself as I type this. I am so excited for all of you… for all of the babies starting school. My H is starting pre-school next week and I am nervous and excited for both of us. Reading this stirred up many emotions I am feeling about it and all the emotions I know will come when It’s our turn in 2 years time. Jx

  33. tissues here beth!
    lovely memory moments for you and harper!
    my great niece started on Tuesday! she was as happy as a lark!
    and her birthday was yesterday!
    she also is ready for the mountain!
    gorgeous! … love m:)X

  34. Lisa Mckenzie says

    Beautifully written it made me tear up I remember when my own baby started school xx

  35. It was just a moment ago that I was reading about her birth on her (that was the first blog post of yours that I read, that must be five or so years ago).

    I hope she comes bounding home full of joy. You and Rob have indeed done good. xx

  36. Ah Beth I’m late to the party but weeping along with everyone else and that was before the nod to my favourite, guaranteed to make me cry every time, Dr Seuss book. I hope Harper had a fabulous first day. Job well done.
    Jacqueline x

  37. Oh, this is perfection Beth. Such a roller coaster of emotions sending our little ones off into the world of school. I found it hard with the first born, I’ll be a mess when I send my last born! SLOW DOWN TIME!!!!
    Awesome post.
    Cx

  38. Yes, your Harper seems so happy and ready…my baby girl is starting Uni and I think it was yesterday that it was her first day of school in crisp school uniform, pudgy sweaty little hands and cheeky smile…

  39. I’d like to read that to my new kindy kids next Monday Beth!! Such a good picture you paint…. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO READ ONE DAY!! And somehow we have to get them there! Along with all the other “stuff”… I’m exhausted already!! πŸ˜‰

  40. Sitting here reading this through a flood of tears. Such a HUGE day. Glad it all went well. I still cry on the first day of school and Sadie is in Year 2. They just grow up far too quickly.

  41. Oh this takes me back, my little bro came home from his first day of school (in 1986) sooooo pissed off that he couldn’t read yet. Let’s hope she can read soon uh xxx

  42. Oh Beth, you really do have a (wonderful) way with words. This post should come with Kleenex! Hope Harps had a fab first day at school and that every day after that is as fabulous as the first. Just more fabulous-er xx

  43. Yup, warm tears here too and a pang in my heart for years gone by. God I wish I blogged back when my kids were little to have that record. Just beautiful writing Beth. x

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