The 1st day.....

Well here they are ready to go to the 1st day of school. Austin being the very protective big brother was giving her lots of advice.. 1) You cross the street with the guard 2) here is how you sing the school song....break out in opera style singing 3) you don't get on red or sent to the principal's office. He speaks of all of this from experience....so he knows HA!

I did not sleep much the night before....I was a tad bit emotional for some reason... I finally fell asleep somewhere around 2am. It must be that my brain is still on Olympic time. HAHA! Then I was woke up even earlier thanks to a cat falling off of the window seal at 5:30am (of course right next to my bed) So I was up. I made a cup of coffee and did more reflection time of Caitlin and her 1st day of school and Austin going to a new room...thinking of all the stuff his teacher needs to know. Oo the joys of parenthood on the 1st days of school. So at 6:30 I grabbed the video camera and put it on night vision (I love doing that) and walked into Caitlin's room. I woke her up telling her it was her 'big day'...it 'finally' was 'here'..she was a 'kindergartner'. she smirked at me then squinted and said "MOMMY...I am still sleepy" Not what I was hoping to capture, but that will work. So then to Austin's room... he was much easier to convince to get up.

They were dressed, eatting scrambled eggs and bacon and it was almost time to go. While I was doing Caitlin's hair these are the things she told me...


"Mommy you don't have to walk me into class I know where it is"
(Are you kidding me...I am walking you all the way to your seat today!)
then "Mommy, daddy can take me to school in HIS car...you can stay home"
(seriously...this child was about to be missing a chunk of hair if she continued...I told her Mommy wanted to be there and take pictures and that I loved her very much)
She then adds, "I am a BIG girl now mommy"
(all I thought is I know I know I know and what I would give for you to be little just for a few more moments.....then i told her..she was a big girl, but she would always be my lil girl forever and we made a deal!)



So it was time to load up and head to SCHOOL
The two of them seriously wanted us to stay in the car and to let them walk up. Here Austin gave another pep talk to Caitlin...Plus a few more RULES! :-)


We entered the overly crowded cafeteria where all the parents were bidding final farewells or maybe they were silent cheers that school was finally back in session. :-D
Here Caitlin is patiently waiting to go to her class

Then it was time to make that walk to her future.....actual school!


We made it to her class and the little lady who didn't want anyone there was all the sudden ok with us being there...No she didn't hang on Dan's leg begging for him not to go, but she wasn't shoving us out the door either.
I helped her with her name tag...just to make sure she didn't poke herself with the safety pin. :-)


Mommy's BIG little girl.. :-)

Then all the sudden she realized that she was not sitting at the table with her friend, Kaden (blonde boy behind/side of her in white with green stripe shirt) She was sad...sat her head down and I was afraid she might cry. But she just sat like this for a bit....maybe she was a bit overwhelmed or nervous


Then the almighty Daddy gave her a pep talk and all was right in her world again. OF COURSE!



We then LEFT! Kind of.. we then went to Austin's room to check on him...see it is much different when they have been there done that and in 2nd grade. hahaha
Here is Austin and his new teacher Mrs. Harlow


We then made a trip to the Tear and Cheer meeting for the parents of kindergartners...there was nothing special here...mainly donuts and more of a sense that parents were cheerful. I was hoping for a sweet poem or something like my friend, Danielle got, but nothing. They sold us on the reasons to join the PTA and that was about it. We chatted a bit and then finally left the building to go have breakfast without kids. :-D Denny's here we come! Afterwards I was wondering how Caitlin was doing and all the fun new things she was learning. It was almost time to go get her already... and I had done well..not a single tear.

Here she is being set free....

She was very happy and came to ME 1st and gave me a big hug...then went to Daddy. It usually Daddy 1st and then a 'hi' for mommy. So this was great.

Let's go Daddy


She SURVIVED and so did we. She told us about all the things she did and that she sits at the green team rable and what color table all her friends sit at. I think she is going to have no problem making friends, since she has previously met over half the class already from various places over the past 2 yrs.
Well day 1 down and many many many more to go. We get to this everyday.