My baby is growing up. I don't know where the time has gone, but here I find my little girl starting kindergarten. I've had mixed emotions about her starting school, but I know she's ready and I needed to step back and let her take a leap.
I wanted it to be a special day for her, so I got up early and made a special breakfast of OJ, sausages and pancakes with peaches and whipped cream. Not the healthiest breakfast, but you only have your first day of school once, right?
Miss A has been really looking forward to taking the bus. I've been a bit hesitant to send her on the bus because all the kids in town ride a bus from home to a transfer station, where they have to get off the bus and get on another one which takes them to their school. After being assured by the transportation people that there were plenty of helpers at the transfer station, I decided to let her take it. Just before midnight on Monday night, I drove to the transfer station with my pail of sidewalk chalk and drew a big flower in front of the bus stop for the bus that takes her to the transfer station. Then, I drew a dashed line all the way to the bus stop for the bus that takes her to school, with another big flower in front of that bus stop. It was my attempt to help her get from one bus to the next without having to remember the bus numbers.
[I seem to remember a comic strip in the newspaper when I was a kid (probably in the late 80's or early 90's) that showed the path a little boy followed on his adventures. Does anyone remember that comic? Was it Dennis the Menace?]
Yesterday morning, I packed up the kids in the car so
that I could follow the bus to school. I told Miss A about the flower path. I knew it would make her (or maybe it's just me...) feel
more confident in that adventure if she knew I was nearby. As Miss A and I waited for the bus she seemed a little nervous, but when the bus actually arrived, she hugged and kissed me goodbye and hopped on the bus like she had been doing it forever. I was glad she was so excited.
I hopped in the car and followed the bus along its route until it arrived at the transfer station. There were so many buses there that I couldn't even see her bus, let alone my little girl. I sat in the car across the street with tears in my eyes and prayed she wouldn't have any troubles getting on the right bus. We went to her school, to wait for her to arrive. By the time I got the other two munchkins and all of Miss A's school supplies into the stroller, she had already arrived at school and was standing outside the bus with her teacher, and a great big smile on her face. She did it! I was so relieved that everything went so well!
We went to her classroom, where we got all her supplies organized, her stuff in her cubby and her new Barbie shoes on. She gave me a quick hug and ran to join her class for a song. Miss C really wanted to give her a hug, so she ran in and hugged her and then we were off. There were no tears at school, for any of us. The bus transfer was much more traumatic for me than leaving her at school. I knew she would be ok there.
Miss C and Mr. Q and I had a fun day at home together. Miss C kept asking when her sister would get home. I think she missed her. We read stories and baked cookies together. It was nice to have more one-on-one time with the younger two.
After school we waited for Miss A at the bus stop. She had a fun ride home where she met a new friend who shared a candy with her. She was so excited to tell us about school. She unpacked her backpack right at the bus stop to show us a picture she drew, and couldn't wait to share. She told us about the butterfly in her lunch. I had packed her fruit pieces in a baggie, then wrapped the middle of the bag with a pipe cleaner and wrapped the pipe cleaner around a pen to make antennae. Miss A read stories at school and she got to paint a picture of her hand and a heart. She learned to say bonjour as she is attending a French school.
All in all, it was a fabulous day! I love seeing my kids grow and learn and try new things so courageously. I'm sure this new adventure will be a great one!
NOTE: I can't find the charger for my camera battery. If anyone knows where I've left it, please let me know. I'm getting sick of all my pictures being blurry from forgetting to wipe off the lens on my phone...
