Not the Only One

Names. Phrases. Songs. Actions. I used to know them all and now I have to ask...'who is that, where did you hear that from, when did you learn that?'  She talks about people we don't know.  She recites things that we don't say.  She knows how to do things that we didn't show her.  (and thank goodness, these are all 'good' things for now!)  We used to be her teachers.  She learned everything from us.  But now...it's a guessing game.  I look at every paper that comes home, I ask a million question in the 8 minute car ride from her school to the house, I try to gather every detail possible, but it's just not going to happen. 

Her world has expanded.  She is being exposed to other adults, other kids, other rules, other lessons.  She is learning so much so fast and I am trying my hardest to keep up...and I am going to keep on trying.  But I know this is the beginning of the cord being cut...a little bit at a time.  I have had her under my wing for four years, but now it is time for her to fly.  Part of me wishes I could say she was like Rapunzel in the Tangled movie who went back and forth with herself when she was exposed to 'all that was out there,' but she's not.  She is 100% totally in love with everything about preschool.  She loves her teacher.  She loves her friends.  She loves everything she is learning.  What's not to love about that for me?  I am happy...but at the same time, it does make me sad when I think about how those four years went by way faster than I would have ever imagined them to and now she is not only my little piece of clay to mold, but others are responsible for her now too.  Just a very weird concept for me to grasp... 

So grown up...so fast.