First Flight

It is remarkably hard to let your little chicks try their wings for the first time. Even if they are surrounded by adults who love them. When you aren't there with them, you worry.

Fiona is on a field trip to Winnipeg with her class today. They left at 7:30 this morning and are due back by 11:00 tonight. They spent the day at the Winnipeg Zoo and had McD's together for dinner. They should be heading home right now with a bus full of exhausted, junk-food-filled kiddies. That will be a long ride!

When I dropped her off this morning, we got out of the car, took two steps toward the bus, turned to me with that, "I am completely freaked," look plastered across her face and started to cry. "I'm scared!" she said. Instead of replying, "Me too," which is what my heart was saying, I was a good mommy and gave her a big hug while offering to help her find a seat on the bus.

Moments later she was nestled between two of her BFFs (a new word in our house since we have such a grown-up girl) and grinning from ear-to-ear. As the bus pulled away they waved through the window with shining eyes, anticipating a grand adventure.

Now we sit waiting in a house the is strangely quiet without her singing to herself before falling asleep. We wait for the bus to pull up so we can climb on, gather our little lamb from her bus seat and tuck her into her own bed.

Tomorrow she can sleep in as her class has the day off school to recover. I look forward to the tales she will spin at the dinner table tomorrow night.