It's a banner day!

I'm so excited to get this in writing that I'm posting with my work computer that doesn't even have any pictures for me to add to this post. That's how excited I really am! And my blatant overuse of exclamation points will go unnoticed by me as I squeal:

She didn't cry this morning!!!

Peyton (2) usually starts getting irked at the thought of pre-school just about the time we drive up to her building. She then begs me to take her home as I take her out of her car seat, "Mommy, I stay wif you....PWEASE!" "Mommy, you hode me." It's enough to break your ever lovin' heart. The teachers assure me she stops as soon as I leave...but still. She grasps for me as I hand her to her teacher and walk away, she runs to the window and presses her tear-stained cheeks against the glass and cries my name as I wave and drive away, swallowing my own grief.

Yeah, life is grand.

However, today...today she says, "Oh, where's Miss Alicia?!" as we walked into the building. We spent time alone in her classroom discussing the names of her friends as she pointed to their cubbies and we planned our afternoon. We walked into her morning drop-off room and I asked her to please go to the window to tell me goodbye. She kissed me hard, said she loved me, hopped out of my arms and made a mad dash to the window, giggling and waving and blowing kisses until my car was out of sight.

Three months of wiping away my own tears as I drive off. Three months of reminding myself that I've done this before with older children and they've survived; that many, if not most, children have moms that work. Three months of second-guessing every decision I've ever made.

Today we, my little girl and I, were completely tear free. I think we deserve some chocolate later.