First Day of School!

Aubrey's first day of school....should have been Monday....but a post birthday stomach bug delayed it a bit:)  I'll spare you the pictures of all that, but will tell you that:
*we were up every 30 minutes all night long
*I had THREE extra loads of laundry to do the next day
*there was fever
*I got to cuddle my girl a lot
*She took two 4 hour naps

*She's back to her old self again.

Big girls who go to school, need to be able to reach their school stuff.  So a couple weeks ago, we put up some hooks for her coat and backpack that are low enough for her to be able to hang them up and get them herself (she is yet to put her stuff away:)  Her shoe basket is also by the door.  She is really good about putting those away and getting them when it is time to go.

So last night.....we got her backpack all set.

Preschool requirement:  One back pack big enough to hold a 9x12 folder.  Those tend to be as big as Aubrey and hit her in the knees when worn, so I made her her own back pack (last night), that fits a folder sideways.

PERFECT FIT! 

(truth be told, she took it right off, but it fit and I'm confident that the teacher will teach her how to wear it....I'm gonna let Miss Senne fight that battle:)

We had to get up EARLY.....school starts at 8:15....so we gotta leave about 7:45...and we gotta get up before that.
Gone are the days:
*of sleeping in til 8:30 or 9:00
*Eating on the go
*Staying in our jammies ALL day (or at least until carpool for the other girls)

 To say she was excited about this new schedule would be exagerating just a bit!  She was NOT pleased!

She thought about running back to bed and delaying the start another couple years days!

Thumbs make everything better.

But after some coaxing....she agreed to try it....ONCE!

Her preschool has about 500 kids total in all the different programs (am & pm preschool as well as the deaf ed--I'll explain her program later).  She does NOT ride the bus!  Again another post....I get to drive her and there is a carpool line.  You pull up, they pull your kids out, you pull away.  (I'm not ready for the carpool line either:)

I parked and we walked in together (highly discouraged).  There were a lot of kids and she was not letting go of my hand.  We met her teacher in the hall and put her bag away in her locker.  We chatted with Miss Senne a bit and went into the classroom.  She had an activity set up for the kids to work on.  Camera in hand, I was ready to capture that first activity of preschool, but Aubrey was not having it and wouldn't even sit down.  She  clung to my leg!  The teacher had to take her so I could slip out the door:(

I waited in the hall a minute before peaking in.....she was fine.  But I worried about my girl all morning.  And I even arrived back at school earlier than necessary.  She had an appointment at 11, so she really only went for a couple hours today.  The teacher said she participated....she was a little upset when the diapers came out and she remembered home....and she cried when the teacher said that it was time to go down to the office and see mama.  Maybe she didn't understand that I was there, but it tears at the heart to see your girl walking down the hall crying.

Photo by Ella Smith (age 4) taken Friday at meet the teacher

First day.....done.  Tomorrow....gonna be tough, but better we hope. Maybe I'll just walk her to the doors tomorrow. Maybe next week we'll join the carpool line.....maybe....