Another milestone marked

Lola is wrapping up her second week of preschool today. She is attending the same school Amelia did and is loving it just as her sister did before her.

She was super-pumped for her first day.

Lola was only two months old when Amelia began her educational career at this school. At times it feels as though our lives have moved in fast-forward since then because sometimes I have a hard time coming to grips with the fact my "baby" is now a preschooler. Other times, though, like those when I feel as if I have only one nerve left and both kids are on it, it seems like time has moved at a snail's pace since Amelia entered preschool.

Nonetheless, Lola is thriving under the tutelage of Mrs. Brooks, who I consider the consummate preschool teacher. Thus far, Lola has learned about the letter "A" for which she studied alligators and apples and has studied the different body parts of which she is particulary interested in the bones. Additionally, she's getting lots of practice tracing letters and connecting the dots. Lola is also working to master cutting with scissors - something I'd never allowed her to do before, but is something she's taken quite well to.

Miss Lola is a little southpaw so she's also getting an idea of how her life will be in this minority. Learning to write and cut are just a smidge tougher for her because of being left-handed, but she's taking it all in stride. There have been a few fits thrown because she was struggling to do something with her left hand, but - all in all- Lola is managing very well.

Before school started, I'd become very concerned she was going to opt out of going all together. You see, Lola is a worrier and not just an average "I don't want to leave mommy" worrier, but more of a "there's always something about which we should be concerned" kind of worrier. In anticipation of her beginning school, I talked a lot about all the fun she would have and all the things she would learn. I roped her daddy and sister into really making a big deal about it as well in the hopes that Lola would be chomping at the bit to begin her academic career.

My plan backfired, though, when Lola began fretting daily about this new change that was about to occur. It got so bad that she would mention school first thing in the morning after opening her eyes and last thing at night before she closed her little eyes to sleep. However, the worst moment came when she'd literally worried herself sick - as in threw up all over the living room and kitchen. I called her daddy to share this new turn of events and told him I didn't think Lola was ready to go to school.

Ever the level-headed member in this relationship, Jeff advised me to calm down and give her some time. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later Lola was raring to go to school. The first morning of school Jeff and I dropped her off without a single tear shed from any of us. Everyday since has been just as easy - thank goodness!

I am so, so, so happy Lola is enjoying school and look forward to seeing how she grows and changes throughout this school year. And, I truly hope she learns to relax a little bit and stop being such a worrier if for no other reason than I'd hate for Mrs. Brooks to have to clean up vomit because my little girl had worried herself sick. Maybe I should mention this in our first parent-teacher conference?