Dear Son,

This morning I registered you for VPK at the elementary school you will attend come early August.

How my little dude, who arrived five weeks before his due date, is now five-years-old, almost four-feet tall and beginning to read, is mind-boggling.

And, this passage of time, it's happening at an almost eerily rapid pace; one that I find equally exciting and terrifying.

My boy, kindergarten is about to rock your world (and mine), but I couldn't be any more optimistic and hopeful about this new adventure we are about to embark on.

And, yes, I said "we," because as any good Kindergarten teacher will tell you, your first year in elementary school is enlightening, challenging, and growth provoking, and not just for you, but Mommy and Daddy as well.

You're our second child, so Daddy and I, we've done this once before.

I'm well aware of the (self-imposed) dire need it was to make sure you were registered early, though we had plenty of time. Hence, why you were registered as of 8:00 am when registration didn't technically open until 10:30 am.

I'm also entirely willing to divulge anything and everything about you including every single unrelated, but in my opinion, necessary overshare-style detail in your "about my child" form. It is my duty to make sure that your teacher knows you inside and out so that she can love and support you accordingly -- as your mama does.

I am fully aware of the importance of your participation in your school's VPK summer program to aid in the transition from preschool to elementary, enabling you to walk in on that first day feeling courageous and comfortable.

I'm wholly on board being a high-ranking member of your educational support team, alongside the teacher of yours who I pray daily will be a "good fit" for you.

And, it must be said, that even though I promise to relay my appreciation to your instructor(s) on the daily, I am beyond grateful to all of the living angel educators who, over the course of many years, will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping how you feel about learning, how much of it you do and who you become.

Yes, I just contended that there are others in this world beyond your father and me who will encourage and aid in your metamorphosis.

And, well, that's a beautiful thing.

As I said, this is not our first rodeo.

We have a soon-to-be third grader as well.

But, you, my witty, uber-intelligent, loving boy, you are a horse of a different color.

And, your Kindergarten experience, though it may, in some ways, mimic your older sister's, it is sure to be an experience, in its entirety, that is unique to you.

And, so, I'd like to give you a few pointers before you step those I-worked-so-hard-to-be-tie-these-by-myself shoelaces into that welcoming, accepting, and world-of-wonder-behind-it classroom door.

Here you go:

LEARNING IS FUN. Seek to approach each day with positive anticipation and motivation.

YOUR TEACHERS LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU. The more you lean into them, their instructions and your work, the better they will get to know you and the easier it will be for them to ensure they are meeting your needs.

YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE SO MANY FRIENDS. Introduce yourself, smile, invite others to play or chat, and be sure to share, help and encourage. All of that positive juju you put out in your classroom each day, it will make its way back to you -- I promise you that.

TRY NEW THINGS. New cafeteria foods, new skills, new words and new methods for things.

BE KIND AND PATIENT. With yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and the curve that is the beginning of early learning.

And, lastly...

STAY CALM AND REMEMBER, IT'S JUST KINDERGARTEN. I'm pretty sure I'll be the one who needs this reminder, so let's repeat it in case some dry shampoo was lodged ears and muffled that last remark...

STAY CALM AND REMEMBER, IT'S JUST KINDERGARTEN.

My buddy, you've got this!

You've "got this" when it comes to anything you will ever want to try, and that is the mentality you must approach VPK, Kindergarten and the rest of your life with.

Kindergarten is just the beginning of you catching glimpses of all that this world (and the nuggets of knowledge it is throwing at you) have to offer.

I know what you have brought to my life every day for the past five years, and I am freakin' pumped as heck to see you bring that same energy, passion, and love to your teachers and the other 18+ students who will, just like you, nervously take their first big step onto an elementary campus in 2019.