First Day!

The first day started off relatively well ... good breakfast, not up crazy early (6:15am is good in Ellen's book), and a good breakfast. She was thrilled to be wearing the ostrich dress she begged for and compromised on the new pink shoes ("mom, you know I don't like pink"). She was happy to take first day pictures and her backpack and lunch were ready to go!

She had expressed some nervousness and worry the night before at bedtime, but nothing specific and we did our best to talk through the unknowns of the day.

You can see her slow walk to school here ... stalling, stalling:

Classroom door - nervous:

Reluctant (fuzzy) selfie.

Aimless artwork (usually her favorite):

Not gonna lie ... it was a caught-off-guard, sob-and-cling-to-your-leg kind of morning. I understood the nerves, but was so surprised by the ONSLAUGHT of tears. And, though this gal is dramatic, I really don't think it was for show. She was sad, sad and asked for us to stay all day and asked to wave goodbye, all things that just weren't possible. I have enough experience to know that she would, in fact, rally after we left and be just fine, but man it is really hard to leave a sobbing, red-faced child in a room full of people you don't know.

I gathered myself and we joined the parent Boo Hoo Coffee and had the chance to chat with some friends and meet new people and generally feel better about the whole thing. Tricky - Ellen's classroom actually had windows on to the courtyard where our coffee was, so she did finally see us out there and we waved and I could see that she was fine.

Our house was strangely quiet and Georgia kept asking for "A-yen? A-yen? A-yen?". I told her, over and over, that she was at school. "Oh".

Erik had a chance to pop by home at school pick-up time, so we loaded G in the stroller and made the 4 minute walk and found all the Kindergarteners waiting for their parents and it was Just. Fine. Ellen was happy to see us, but not unusually so. She was smiley and chatty on the way home, and made a celebratory fist pump in the air when she told us she made her first pal!!

Who is it??

"The boy at my table who was also crying."

As of this evening, she has agreed to return tomorrow.

(Also, see my sentimental post from the night before HERE at the blog that has been forgotten ...)