On your very first day of Kindergarten

Dearest Jude,

Today is your very first day of real school.  I can't believe how time has flown by.  I still remember when we brought you home from the hospital, and you had explosive poops that would shoot out the back of your diapers and assault bystanders.

This morning when I took you to school, I was really nervous, probably more nervous and scared than you.  I had so many thoughts flowing through my mind:  will you make friends easily, will you listen to your teachers, will you crap your pants and be laughed at, will you pick your boogers and eat them, will you spill your lunch and starve the rest of the day, will you drop an F bomb in front of your teachers, will you yell out Goddammit when you make a mistake...there are so many things that can go wrong, I thought.  For your sake, though, I kept quiet and put on a brave face.  Besides, you looked cool and ready to tackle whatever was ahead.

So, congratulations to you for being brave and strong today.  You were much stronger than mommy.  I was brave until the parents' meeting, where I let out a single tear, trying desperately to hold it together. 

So on your first day of school, I hope the rest of your class appreciates what a brilliant mind you have, what a caring heart you have, and what a great kid you are. 

Mommy loves you!