First Day of School

We've been trying to figure out a good place for Madison to work on her reading, writing, drawing, etc. She got a couple of really neat maps for her birthday that needed a place to hang too so down came my pictures and up went the maps. We've been having so much fun with the maps and she was so excited today to see the green Washington flag flying outside her school as well as the U.S. flag and know what each was. I have been told there will be a little bit of homework in Kindergarten, not to exceed 10 minutes a day. I was unhappy with how my living room was set up so I asked Madison if she wanted a little homework corner and she was over the moon. She was helping me move furniture and telling me where she wanted her desk. I was a bit older but I remember a little area like this in my room and I just loved it. Of course, I was more interested in organizing it and keeping things nice than actually doing my homework there but having a space of my own was something I remember fondly. The girls just love it.

This is Madison's shelf for her lunch stuff. She's excited to use her new napkins and lunch bag!

Kennedy started preschool yesterday. She was ecstatic! She has been waiting for this day for at least a year I would say and it's finally her time to shine! Madison had her assessment yesterday which was her first time in a classroom there and first time to meet any of the teachers so she got her "first day of school gift" too. On Madison's first day of preschool two years ago she got a little dollhouse family and she loves them, she knows they were her gift for her first day of preschool and they are very special to her.

Kennedy is obsessed with Taxi Cab's. She loves them so I thought it was fitting to get her one. She also loves fire engines and fire fighters so she got a book on the subject.

Madison got a book about what the world is made of and...

a police car. They also got some watercolor pencils for sharing, these pencils are so cool. I couldn't find them at any store in town so I ordered them.

Her is Miss Kennedy walking up to the preschool door,...

hanging up her backpack,...

posing by her backpack and...

ready to get her preschool on! Way to go big girl, congratulations on your amazing milestone. May you have a year full of nurturing, love and friendship.

After we dropped off Kennedy we headed to Madison's school for her assessment. This is the only picture I got. It all happened so fast that the kids got checked in at the door and whisked away left us standing there wondering where our baby went. She did remarkably well. I went off to the presentation in the library and filled out a bunch of paperwork. We also made paper dolls resembling our children and put rubber bands on T-shirts for tie-dying. We heard LOTS of information from the PTO president among other people but my mind was preoccupied wondering how Madison was doing. When it was over and I went to get Madison she was at a desk in the hall with lots of other kids coloring. She gave me a big hug and told me she was crying for me at the end. My heart sank. Two nice ladies told me what a sweetheart Madison was so I assume they were helping to comfort her when she got upset. Since this happened yesterday I've been having a hard time. She was only in there for about 45 minutes and in just over a day from now she will be there for 6 hours a day. I'm trying not to let my mind get too carried away with things and to realize it won't take her long to get to know people and feel comfortable but I'm having memories of my own first day of school anxiety. I still get it, when I enter a classroom on the first day I always scan the room wondering who to sit by (looking specifically for older mom-looking people vs. the 18 year old's with low rise jeans). I have faith that Madison is going to amazingly but I do worry about the first several weeks of adjustment. It will be challenging for all of us but we'll push through and she'll do great.

We found out who her teacher will be and we are excited to meet her tomorrow. Tomorrow Madison will go for 2 hours for her orientation alone. On Friday she will start her first full day, they also happen to have a BBQ that day. I am happy she will get a taste of the full day with a weekend following it. She told me she did great on the assessment and knew just about everything. She's such a smart girl and I'm so excited for all the fun things she will do and learn this year.