First Day of School

Today my BIG six-year-old went off to her first day of first grade. Why does it feel like kindergarten was practice and now we are in the "real deal" for school?! It was definitely harder to say goodbye to her last year. After all, I had spent the last five years staying home with her and having her there almost 24/7 so of course that transition was hard. This time around she was the same old Calli as always: walked into her classroom without looking back and I had to ask her for a hug and a goodbye. Okay Mom!! You can leave now, you're embarrassing me!! - Her true thoughts I'm sure!!
Her teacher seems very nice this year. I got to go to her school last Thursday for the meet-the-teacher orientation. Her teacher is Mrs. Berger and she is older and has been teaching for a long time and teaching specifically first grade for ten years.  I think Calli will do well this year, but I am a little worried she might get bored. I guess a lot of kids come into the first grade not knowing how to read or knowing just a little bit and Calli has been reading chapter books this whole summer. I'm pretty sure she already meets the requirements to go on to second grade, but what can ya do?

Drop off this morning was an absolute nightmare. We walked to school last year, eliminating any time spent sitting in traffic. I forgot that everyone and their mother and their aunt and their second cousin twice removed likes to see their kids off to school on the first day. And indoor schools are so very VERY inconvienant. Calli's classroom is in the very front of the school, closest to the road. It was a new addition they built a few years ago when the school started to get overcrowded. I guess it became the first grade wing. It has a door leading in to it, but do you think that is open in the morning? No because that would make too much sense. Instead the kids have to walk through the front of the school building and Calli will have to add an additional five minutes to get to her classroom on time after just walking through the front doors. It is ridiculous!! I am also going to have to walk her for the first few days at least to make sure she knows where she is going. There are all kinds of crazy twists and turns and she's not familiar with it yet. Again, would it be terribly hard to open up that door and let us in through there...her classroom is mere steps from that door. Indoor schools...not a fan!!

So now it is drawing close to picking her up. Instead of being released at 2:30pm as she was in kindergarten she will get out at 2:45pm. I am wondering what traffic will be like. It was pretty easy last year because I left early and the cars weren't backed up yet. Now I will be getting there right in the thick of the mess. We will probably be figuring out a meeting place in a few weeks so I don't have to deal with all of it. But for now I'll walk into the school to get her.

I am anxious to hear about her day. My morning was spent in a scattered state of mind. I wasn't expecting quite that much commotion at school drop off so that threw me off. I took the little ones to the gym right after and then we played in the park for awhile after. We came home and ate lunch immediately (I completely forgot to feed myself breakfast!!) and then it was time for Jameson's nap and a shower for me. I finally got a few minutes to sit down, but then here I am blogging about it!

I made the mistake of taking Calli (and Serena and Jameson) to McDonalds for ice cream after her first day of kindergarten so now the little miss thinks that it is a tradition. She has been asking if we are going to go so what can I say except yes :). Here's looking forward to a great year...did I mention I signed up to be Room Mom?!