Oak Tree in an Acorn: Olivia's First Day of Kindergarten

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Olivia's First Day of Kindergarten

Olivia started Kindergarten this week at our neighborhood elementary school. She was very excited the night before and had no trouble waking up early (was there ever any doubt with our little early bird?) She had a busy first day and was so tired when Eve and I picked her up. When she came in the door, though, she grabbed a pencil, sat down at the kitchen table, and asked if the teacher put any homework in her backpack. She is motivated to learn! She said that so far, it's been mostly playtime, but I told her that after the first week, it'll get a little harder. She is ready for the challenge! We will continue to do projects at home, especially science projects since there isn't much emphasis on science in Kinder. Our latest experiment this week was on pH testing of acids and bases. Of course, Olivia had to get dressed for the part before we started our tests!

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.