As A...

As a Kindergartner, she walked in to Open House with a little hesitation and unsureness in her step.

As a 1st Grader, she walked in with confidence and certainty.

As a Kindergartner, she opened the big heavy door with slight difficulty.

As a 1st Grader, she flung that door open with ease.

As a Kindergartner, she stood by her classroom door, posing with a smile as if to say, "Mom, I'm not quite sure what to expect walking through this door."

As a 1st Grader, she stood by her classroom door, posing with a smile as if to say, "Mom, please hurry and take the picture... my friends are watching and I really want to go in and find my desk!"

*****

And find her desk she did! Rylee was quick to find her name, and she climbed right into the chair as if 1st Grade was beginning -- right then and there!

Of course, not to be out-done, someone else had to try out her desk as well.

We did some school-supply distributing ("Crayons and glue here... folders here... tissue boxes there") 1st-grade-room-exploring ("Calendar here... computer here... bathroom there...") and posing-with-the-teacher-picture-taking ("Mrs. Nuebel here... Rylee here... and SMILE!")

And that was that.

I mean, really, what time is there to waste when you are already a seasoned school-goer?

So we headed home to get a good night's sleep.

But before hitting the pillow, we had to read this...

because we are all about preparation around here...

And we needed to prepare...

because the next morning, she would wake up...

not as a Kindergartner,

but

as a

FIRST GRADER!