All summer, we have talked about school. Rowan has known for a while that her teacher is Miss Sarah, that she'll make new friends and read books and do art projects and sing songs and play and practice being a good listener at school. She's been excitedly talking about it for weeks, and while the majority of her excitement involves getting to wear her "pack pack," she's shown genuine interest in school every time we've talked about it.
Today was the big day. I labeled her things and filled out her forms and tucked pictures of our family into her file. I laid out her outfit and prepped her one last time as I tucked her into bed last night -- "when you wake up tomorrow, you will get to go to school!" "I'm so excited, Mama! I go to school, I wear my pack-pack!"
And this morning, I fed her breakfast and let her do her normal, favorite things. Then I got her dressed and propped her in front of our door with her official sign to mark the occasion. We drove the five minutes from our house to the school, and she walked in like the big girl she is.
Today was only an hour with half the class, and parents were asked to stay. Tomorrow is again just an hour, but she'll stay and I'll go. She did great today. There was a little shyness and fingers-in-mouth at the beginning, but soon enough, she was exploring the stations and toys and new friends with no regard for where I was. Toward the end, she wanted to be held and didn't want to participate in circle time, but those are new routines, and I know she'll adjust in time. This will be so good for her, and she will love the structure and the socialization and the new experiences. And tomorrow, she won't know it, but Mommy will be close by, circling the neighborhood with Graham in the stroller until it's time to pick her up. :)
She's only two, and this is only pre-pre-school, but I still marveled at how quickly the time goes as I stood back and watched her today. Didn't we just bring her home from the hospital yesterday? There are many, many school days ahead, but today was her first, and she embraced it with her usual, awesome spirit.
Godspeed, my beautiful girl. Learning is such a grand adventure, and I am so excited for what lies ahead.
As I sit here reading this post I think about when you had your first days of school and I am filled with such a great sense of love and joy. It has all come full circle, my beauty and now it is my sweet Rowan's time. This post, these pictures are what makes my world go round. I cannot wait to go with you next week to see this for myself. It's times like these my heart is a little broken that I am not always there. I love and miss you all so so much.
Posted by: Lee Ann Brock | September 12, 2014 at 05:35 AM