First day of kindergarten

Today marked a significant landmark in our family. My first baby went off to kindergarten. On Tuesday, I got to take Caroline to her new school, take a tour, see her classroom, and meet her teacher.  I have to say - I was not ready for this. My comfort level with her going to preschool was just fine. But kindergarten - FIVE days a week (thankfully half days), and in a whole new school with all new kids, without her best friend Sarah (who I adore) - I didn't feel ready. She's only five! She's my baby. A small christian preschool seems so safe. A crowded public elementary school with much older kids and tons of different languages being spoken seemed so ... different.  (And it was nothing like the small, friendly neighborhood elementary school I attended in Winnetka.)  Loosening my apron strings has never been easy and this proved to be especially difficult.  

I didn't share these feelings with her, of course. We talked about how exciting it would be to go to kindergarten and learn all kinds of new things, meet new friends, do new things. 









The morning of her first day, we gave her a little silver heart necklace to wear. "This is to remind you how much God loves you and how much Mama and Daddy love you, even when we're not with you. If you ever feel scared or nervous, just hold onto the heart and remember how much we love you. "   She smiled and proudly put it on.  I tried my hardest not to cry, and luckily, succeeded.

The night before her first day, as providence would have it, we were reading Anne of Green Gables (a beginner version) and read about Anne's first day of school. The book explained how Anne was both nervous and excited. On the car ride over in the morning, she exclaimed "I'm just like Anne, nervous AND excited!" .  It was comforting to her to be able to identify with and be in the same situation as Anne.  We got out of the car and took our first picture against her new school sign - Aspen Elementary. I walked her to the door and she told me "Mama, if I get nervous or sad, I'll just hold onto my little heart. "  I smiled and gave her a hug. Then the teachers whisked her off to her new classroom, luckily quickly enough that she didn't see my eyes start to tear up.  It's a big moment for us. My baby is growing up...but hopefully not too fast. I want to enjoy all of her "little girl" moments for at least a little while longer!