It's not easy, but it's beautiful.

The big girls start school today. Second grade and kindergarten at Dalton, where I went from K-12. I honestly can't believe it. I remember being their ages, those September days, starting school. And now it's them. I remember dreaming of each these babies, my babies, clutching the positive pregnancy tests, cradling each of these girls for the first time. And now they are big. Bigger. Big enough to go to school together. Starting Friday, they will get on the school bus together each morning. Oh how they are looking forward to this.

And my littlest. She begins her second year of preschool on Thursday. She will be in the Koala Room and go Monday through Friday until 12:30pm. There will be hours every weekday morning when this house is quiet. This is new. This is something.

I'm happy. I'm nostalgic. I'm proud. I'm kind of in shock. Time is doing its thing and all I can do, all we can do, is surrender and say bye girls, have a great day and smile at the exquisite good fortune that we have three happy, healthy girls making their way in the world.

It's not easy, but it's beautiful. This dance. Of deep affection and wild awe, of holding on and letting go. I love it.

And most of all, I love them.

My sweet petites.

My little Rowlets.

How do you do with these transitions? Do you remember the start of the school year as a kid? Have you had an easy or hard time sending your children off to school?