The big day

There is a little baby girl named A. who started in our daycare a few weeks ago. She's just a few months old, and her older brother is in G's class. I thought of A. recently when I found a mysterious bag of newborn girl clothes. I thought I had given away all of our newborn girl clothes, but I hadn't, so I offered them to A.'s mom and she took them and that makes me so happy, because when my kids' clothes stay in our daycare family I get to see them and reminisce.

Today was a big day at daycare for reasons having nothing to do with handmedowns. Now that it's over, I can confess to you that I was very nervous. E and her four oldest classmates had their graduation today, and while E was more than prepared, she became less and less confident as the date drew nearer. Last week, she was excited. On Monday, she told me she was a little excited. On Tuesday, she complained that the stage lights were really hot. On Wednesday, she said that she wishes she didn't have to wear her cap and gown because they make her feel like nusscles. (You know about the nusscles, right? They're awful and you should avoid them if you can.)

Yesterday she quivered her lips at bedtime. This morning it all came falling out: there will be people there I don't know! And they'll be LOOKING AT ME!

All I could do was agree, but I told her that she didn't have to look at them.

Well, 3pm came and the people, they looked at her. And when they did, they saw a composed, articulate, calm and curtsying graduate perform all her parts perfectly.

Y'all, my baby rocked it.

Forgive that the auditorium had the worst lighting imaginable and call this shot artistic, okay?

And now she has a diploma. "Your first diploma," the daycare administrator said to her. And E questioned: I'll get more diplomas?

The woman responded, "well, this will only be your first graduation. You'll have many more."

I will?

"You're going to graduate from high school, aren't you?"

Mmm, probably, E assented. So I should hold on to this diploma, just in case.

After the ceremony and the reception we returned to the classrooms to gather all of our things. We ran into the mom to whom I had given those mysterious baby girl clothes, and she knelt right down to talk to E. "Congratulations!" she said. "And thank you so much for sharing your baby clothes with A.!"

A. gurgled in her infant carrier. I looked at her and realized she's about the age that E was when she first enrolled at this daycare in May 2006. "Look at this baby girl who wears your clothes," I said to E. "That's how little you were when you started here."

We all looked down as A. cooed and grabbed for her toes.

"That's how little you were when you began.

"And now, you're a graduate."