Sleep tight my little ones.

Tomorrow is the day you have been preparing for since the beginning of the school year.

As your mom, I have watched you work so hard. I have witnessed your frustrations, wiped away your tears, held you tight when you questioned your own abilities and did my best to remind you just how special and amazing you truly are.

I have watched you come home with pride in your eyes and excitement in your voice when you finally felt you were getting it right.

I cheered with you, fought for you and have believed in you every step of the way. I know your teachers have worked tirelessly getting you ready for this day.

I know how much they believe in you too.

They can sense your anxiousness and have done their very best to reassure you, that you are ready.

They are cheering for you-how lucky you are to have them!

When you wake up in the morning with butterflies in your belly, I will hug you extra tight, and remind you once again how incredibly wonderful and smart I KNOW you are.

You will look at me one more time, before you get out of the car, with those beautiful, innocent eyes and I will kiss you goodbye and tell you AGAIN- that you got this- because you are Rock Stars and Wonder Twins and amazing and so very, very smart.

I will remind you, to take a deep breath and use your I AM's.

I AM SMART

I AM AMAZING

I AM BRAVE

I AM STRONG

I AM UNSTOPPABLE

I will drive away and hold you tight in my heart, hoping your stress and worry soon subside.

And as your little 9 year old hand, holds on tight to that pencil and begins to write and recite all that has been placed into your mind-What I really want you to remember is what I told you last night before you fell asleep.

You, my sweet girls, are so much more than a number you will receive on a test.

There is no test in the world that could ever tell me how incredible my daughters are.

Whether you receive a 0 or a 10....I love you exactly the same.

Whether you get a 1 or a 5, I know just how brilliant you are.

Whether you take all day to finish or finish on time...or don’t finish at all-I am equally as proud of you, because I know, without a doubt, you have tried your very best.

My girls, remember this.... each and every one of us have gifts and talents to share with the world, and the beauty of that gift is found within all of our differences. So whether school comes easy or you find you have to work extra hard, you must always begin with the belief in yourself.... to keep going and to keep trying every step of the way.

So yes, I want to see you succeed in school, for you, but I also want you to understand that your successes in life will come from being who you are, from sharing your gifts that make you light up from the inside, from your kindness and love and generosity to others and more important, to yourself.

And there is no test score in the world that will determine your self-worth. I hope you understand that the most.

So when you get back home, with smiles on your faces and relief in your eyes and tell me all about your writing FSA...I will smile and hug you tight-I will celebrate and cheer-but not for your test or the score you will receive. I will be cheering because I see you for the amazing little girls that you truly are- for the kindness and love that live within your hearts and for the world changers I know you will become.

Now go outside and play and create and be joyful, just as a 9 year old is meant to be.