How is it possible that my granddaughter is in transitional kindergarten and is four-and-a-half years old already?

Doesn’t seem that long ago that my daughter and son-in-law first brought her home from the hospital and we marveled over how tiny she was. Honestly, she had the cutest little round pumpkin face and big eyes, chubby cheeks … the screensaver on my phone is a photo from when Lorelei was about five months old and people tell me I should change it but she looks so beautiful that I just can’t bring myself to replace it.

She has attended morning preschool for three half days a week for over two years so she was definitely ready for this new adventure. When I took her to TK orientation, we had to fill out a form about transportation and she wrote her own name at the top of the page. Just her first name; we are still working on getting her to spell out her last name. But she will gladly introduce herself to you by stating her full name,” Lorelei Alice Wendland.” That’s a lot to write.

Lately, one of the games we play in the car while getting from here to there is a math game. I will tell her she has five apples and then ask if we eat two of them, how many does she have left? Or if she has four stuffed animals and we get two more at the store, how many do we have altogether? It takes her a little bit of time, but she usually gets the right answer.

Summer went by in a blur, with her dance recital, swimming lessons and then the move to a different home. We are still emptying boxes but all the basic necessities have now been unpacked.

She has already made some friends in her TK class and since it isn’t a full school day, she is also transitioning into going to her preschool three afternoons a week, for after school care. At first that was kind of daunting for her, as she was termed “a big kid” and she broke into sobs one night telling us she didn’t want to be a big kid. We assured her that it was just a way of letting the preschool/after school care team know that she wasn’t one of those that had to lay down for a nap after lunch but instead had some free play time. That made it somewhat better.

The first couple weeks of school have gone fairly smoothly, in terms of her getting up and getting ready. My daughter Ally was notorious for having to be dragged out of bed at the last possible moment and she is hoping that Lorelei does not have that same trait. My granddaughter can move as slow as a sloth when the mood strikes her but thankfully, she has maintained a normal speed early on this school year.

She is excited for a new playground to explore at her school; she has had moments of being a very good classroom helper for her teacher and only a couple of days did she cling to my daughter’s leg so hard that she had to be pried off to go to class.

A couple of days after a clinging episode, Ally dropped her off and then watched surreptitiously from behind the fence, keeping an eye on Lorelei for a few minutes. Then she texted me, letting me know “She made it to her classroom all by herself!”

They grow up too fast.

Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.