Daphne's First Day of Kindergarten!

Daphne started kindergarten today (what?!) and she was SO ready. She was practically kicking me out of her classroom once she got settled. She has been excited to go to school for as long as she's known that there was a thing called school.

Here she is just after waking up, saying goodbye to her dad. I think he was pretty happy that she woke up before he had to go, and he was able to read her the card he wrote, which of course she loved.

And here she is dressed and almost ready to go! How do you like her too-small jacket? So maybe we haven't gone school clothes shopping yet... I'm the worst!

The past couple days, though, she did show some signs of nervousness. Which, in a selfish mom sort of way, made me happy. ("She really DOES love me! At least a little bit!") She was pretty much refusing to do anything I asked her to do, and crying easily about little things and I asked her what was going on and if she was worried about anything, maybe school? And she started crying harder and said yes, and "I just don't know what it will be like not being with you!" So I hugged her and held her on the floor of our garage (we had just gotten home from Zoe's 12 month check-up, Zoe and Alex still in their car seats) and I told her it was okay to be scared and that I would miss her too. And then she felt better for a while but was still acting up that day - more than usual. So I asked her again that night if she was worried about anything else and she said something about being scared to ride the bus without me. But when I asked if she wanted me to drive her to school instead she said "No, I still want to ride the bus." She's so brave!

(Our house faces the rising sun so it was a liiiiittle bright for outside pictures.)

Then last night we were discussing the game plan for this morning. The plan was my mom would get her on the bus so I could drive down early to the school and be waiting there when she got OFF the bus, and then walk her to class. But I had just found out yesterday morning that instead of going straight to their classes, all the kids go to the gym first thing and line up according to classes and having morning announcements and THEN the teachers walk them to class. So I wasn't sure how that was going to work, or if I would be allowed to walk her to class, or just to the gym or what? So I was explaining the uncertainty of this step and she (trying to be brave as ever) says "So you can walk me to the school and ask if you can walk me to my class, and if they say no that's fine!" And then her face kind of crumpled and she covered her eyes with her hand. Then she put her hand down and looked okay for a second, then her face scrunched up again. I asked if she was okay and she started crying and said, "What if they say NO?!" So we had another big long hug and decided we'd just have to figure that one out in the morning.

Well, thank goodness, the school has been doing this longer than we have. And they know about kindergarten. And of COURSE the parents get to walk their kids straight to their class on the first day. (After that, however, it's discouraged). But that was all we needed.

So my mom AND sister Katie showed up just in time for them to walk Daphne (and Alex and Zoe) to the bus stop while I drove down the hill to school. I got there a few minutes ahead of the bus, so I had time to ask a lady about the walking to class situation and that was a huge relief.

Daphne practically jumped off the bus and ran to me and gave me a hug and screamed "That was SO fun!" And told me all about how she got to ride next to Carson (a first grade friend) and all the other details about their one and a half minute bus ride together. Then Carson told us we better get inside or we were going to be late! We actually still had over 15 minutes, but you don't argue with a first grader. So off we went.

Daphne lead the way and assured me, "I know where I'm going." It might have helped that she was following a line of kindergarteners and their parents, but still. She got us there. We walked in and the teacher greeted her by name and told her where to put her lunch box and backpack and invited her to find her name on a table and sit down.

She found it right away and got busy coloring her "First Day of School" coloring page and after taking a couple pictures and giving hugs and kisses and double checking that she knew the teacher's name and where I would meet her after school she started saying things like "Okay Mom, you can go now!" ... "Okay, time for you to go!" ... "Okay bye!" And that was that!

And I DIDN'T cry like I thought I would, only because I knew she would be just fine. I'm sure she'll have nervous moments but for the most part I think she's going to love it. And I'm so excited for her. But it was weird coming home without her, and it's weird being home without her, and it will take some adjusting to life without Daphne during the day - but again, just knowing how happy she is to be there, makes it that much easier for me to be happy for her to be there.

Whew! Major first day of kindergarten milestone - check!