The day finally arrived and with much anticipation from my daughter! She has been ready to go to school since my son's last year at this preschool. She no longer has to be dragged out of the classroom kicking and screaming because she wants to stay and color, play with dolls, dress up, etc. Now she can stay and have it all!
I know what you are thinking - "Did he remember to put fresh batteries in the camera this time?"
You bet your sweet cheeks I did. Here is some video of her walking up to her classroom.
She was so excited to see her teachers! She walked in and sat right down at the table covered in paper with markers to color on. Markers? Her eyes lit up like twinkly little stars. It's almost as if she had just walked through the Pearly Gates of Heaven and Saint Peter handed her the Magic Markers from God himself. This was the last we saw of her before she kissed us goodbye and sent us on our way.
After lunch we went to pick her up and she was standing at the window with the other kids waving at their parents. Nothing but smiles on her face and the desire for more preschool fun tomorrow. She's growing up so fast that I don't think I can find a pickle jar big enough to hold her anymore. Oh well, they can't stay little forever.
Today my son jumped out of bed when he heard me get in the shower at 6:30 AM and came into the bathroom just minutes later already dressed with a big smile on his face. He was excited to start school! We woke up his sister and got her dressed then headed downstairs. He quickly consumed his Cheerios and orange juice, ran upstairs to brush his teeth, then put on a belt to hold his shorts up, grabbed his lunchbox, and darted out the front door to the truck to buckle himself in for the ride to school.
We met Mama down the street from the school since she was coming from the gym around the corner. Walking up to the school you could see he was sizing up the crowd with intensity. This school is much bigger than his preschool and way many more kids!
Right after I took this photo the batteries in my camera died. I brought the pocket Nikon L12 since it also shoots video and I was hoping to get some of him walking away to his class. While we were waiting in the gym with all of the other kindergartners and their parents I was able to turn it on and shoot one more before it decided to die completely.
It's probably a good thing the camera died after that shot. It was pretty much the last smile we saw from him. When the time came for his class to leave the gym and go to their room (without parents) he started to walk away then turned around and darted back to us all sad and not wanting to go. A new big school and all those unfamiliar faces (only one kid from his preschool is there but not in his class) surely frightened him a little. Leaving Mom & Dad for the whole day to continue his journey into boyhood is a big step that is scary and exciting for us all.
On the way home from dropping him off my daughter said she missed him. She'll probably forget about that next week when she starts preschool for the first time. That will be another frightening and exciting day as she begins her journey out into the world of school.
We have been going to the pool this Summer at the gym but today is only the second day my son has wanted to swim without his life vest on. Who knew all it would take is a snorkel? He hasn't taken swim lessons yet but from the looks of it I think he's going to do just fine. Must be in his genes.
