Tomorrow? Wow, tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, at 7:50 AM, Baxter will start his first day of kindergarten in San Francisco.

I've never done a blog before - haven't even read more than a handful of them - but many of our friends (whose kids will go to kindergarten next year) have mentioned that they'll be "living vicariously" through our experience this year and seem interested in the details. So, Matt and I thought that perhaps we'd write about it here from time to time for you all to see.

Baxter is "four-and-three-quarters", as he'd be sure to tell you. Thankfully, he's a very tall and social child so perhaps he won't seem like the youngest in his class. He told me today that he's "just excited", but noted that he will probably be scared tomorrow when it's time to actually go into school.

We've been walking that fine line between preparing him and provoking anxiety in him for the past two weeks...you know, gently helping him to get ready with some carefully selected books about what to expect in kindergarten while trying not to make TOO big a deal about it so as not to be the cause of nail-biting and crankiness. He's been a little testier than usual, but he's also over-tired from the fun vacation to Libertyville that we just returned from three days ago. (Here's something for the "note to self and future parents of kindergartners" category: be sure to allow a week at home between any summer vacation and the start of school! It's not easy getting a jet-lagged child ready to start school.)

We visited Grattan on Friday afternoon for their Milk & Cookies party, which was lovely and did indeed soothe any fears he had. He loved meeting his teacher, Ms. Cathy, who was incredibly friendly and kind, and getting a glimpse of his classmates. Baxter was happy to see a friend from his preschool there, and that friend happens to be in his class (phew!). A familiar face makes all the difference. He explored the school, walking ahead of us with confidence, and had such a great time out on the yard that he cried when it was time to leave: "I want this to be a full day of school! School is open! I don't want to wait for Monday!" What more could we ask for, really?

So now it's 9:45 PM , the night before. Baxter's been asleep for hours and we are preparing to turn in ourselves. After all, now we have to get up at 5:30 AM to shower and start getting ourselves ready before getting the kids up. Leaving the house with Baxter by 7:30 may be tough for a while. Thankfully, Matt has set up the coffeemaker so that it's ready to start brewing at dark o'clock in the morning when we will surely need it.

The new blue backpack is on the counter, with BAXTER GORDON printed carefully inside with a Sharpie. There's a piece of construction paper inside with little love notes glued on (again, thanks to Matt) from Daddy, Mommy and Lyle (okay, that last one was faked by Matt but Baxter will be amused). His lunchbox is in the fridge, packed by Daddy. We laminated two family photos back-to-back and stuck it in his lunchbox so that he'll know we're thinking of him while he munches on his super-organic almond-butter-and-jelly-on-live-grain-wheat-bread at lunch. (He's bound to come home asking, "Mommy, when can I have lunchables?") We picked out his outfit tonight - your basic khakis and orange t-shirt (his favorite color). He couldn't have cared less what he was going to wear, but the camera battery is charged and ready for a first day of school photo. Matt's gone to the garage and attached the brand new bike trailer to his bike so that he can bike with Baxter to school (this will be his mode of transport just about every day). In short, we're so ready that we'll be heading out the door 20 minutes ahead of schedule, I'm sure.

Everyone asks if we're nervous or sad about this big change. I can't speak for Matt, but I'm mostly just excited. I don't feel nervous at all, and sad? - no. It's more like nostalgia for me. Amazing how quickly we've gotten to this night, and how much Baxter has changed in these four-and-three-quarter years. But he couldn't be more ready for this new adventure, and I feel confident that he's completely up for it. That much was clear when we watched him bolt up the unfamiliar school stairs in search of the play yard on Friday. So I feel ready, as ready as that backpack and lunchbox and fresh outfit all laid out in his room. Then again, maybe that's just tonight.