Before She's Officially a Big Kid

She's still 6.  For 23 more days.  I refuse to say "almost 7" when people ask.  She's 6.  For as long as I can keep her that way.

Despite Mama's return to the working world, Anna is having a great year.  She loves her teacher, and her teacher loves her back.  Anna no longer cries and refuses to go to school every morning.  She comes home excited about what she did in class.  She came home with a report on beetles she had written the other day, a special project concocted for her and 2 other "ahead" kids.  Her teacher writes me things like "She is such a happy kiddo! I'm so excited to be working with Anna! Here are the plans I have...." I love that lady.

The icing on the cake is that her "best friend" who moved to Oklahoma last summer just moved back and started back in Anna's class today.  Anna is beyond excited. She has buddies in her class who are boys, but all of the little girls she is friends with are in the other class.

When given the opportunity, Anna's heart glows.

This little girl arrived in November last year too, and Anna welcomed her with open arms the first day, showing her the ropes of how things were in kindergarten. When we recently hosted 3 young ladies from Uganda in our home, Anna welcomed them the same way.  Unabashedly, completely, and in such a way that they fell in love with her in return.

I ran into the neighbor who is Anna's reading enrichment specialist and we had a nice long talk.  She shared a story about how she was selling the kids in Anna's reading group the idea of writing their own books. She promised she would have copies made up for all of the elementary school libraries in the district.  Anna's response was, "Do you know a kid who doesn't have any books?" Our neighbor replied, "Yes, I do." Anna said, "I think I would like you to just give my book to that kid."  "Here I was selling the idea of fame and recognition, and she comes up with that!"

I had not really read the papers I cleaned out of Anna's folders in the rush Thursday evening before we left first for the Hope for Africa Children's Choir and then to DC.  Last night I finally waded through the stack, and saw the most adorable thing.

" I wod wish to see my new baby cosin" it says, in response to what she would wish for.  That's her on the left, and Aunt Kristy holding baby Jovie on the right.  Though the drawn baby Jovie looks more like baby Anna did with all of that sticking up brown hair. Her wish came true:) She loves her baby cousin.

Today she noticed the registration form for YMCA "Fun Center" at her school (before and after school childcare).  She looked at me and said "Do I have to go to after school child care?"  I replied that when Mommy starts working full time in January, she probably would.  She said, "I don't think I want to." I explained to her that I understood, that we would try it for a little bit, that her sister loved her after school program in first grade and wanted to go more than she did.  And her friend so and so would be there.  At that, she bounced up and said "Oh, Ok.  That will be fun. I like him."

Gosh, I hope that transition won't rock this nice boat we're in right now.  But that's a worry for another day.  She's not 7 yet, and she isn't going to after school childcare yet either.  When she does, she'll officially be a big kid anyway.  A big-hearted, wonderful, big kid.