First Day of Kindergarten!

Well it's official. My baby has flown out of the nest. Boo hoooooo!

Actually I cried a little the night before, but the first day of Kindergarten was remarkable non-emotional. When she came home she was totally wired and happy and said that 'kindergarten rocks'. So how can I really be that sad?

She'll be gone from 8:30-3 every day which is a major change around her. The first change being getting up and out the door early. Preschool drop off was always at 10, and aside from times we would shoot to at the 9am water aerobics class or heading out early on a special adventure....I haven't set and alarm in 5 years.

The kids are waking up at the normal time, between 6:30-7 am but they're also used to some lazy morning TV time, which will now have to take place in the afternoon I guess.

Next week Charley starts back at preschool on Tues and Thurs so we'll move into the double-drop off mode. And that's when I start wearing a chaperone's cap.

Tessa asked for the same breakfast today and yesterday. Buttered toast and yogurt with honey. We are out of pork buns, otherwise I'm sure that would be her first request. Makes for a hearty stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.

I had talked her into wearing her one and only Matilda Jane dress but she changed her mind at the last minute and decided on this comfy cotton one. That MJ dress was a total impulse buy and I spent about 10x more money than I do on a kid's dress. Serves me right, she doesn't like the mismatched patterns and has deemed it 'un-comfy'.

This green Gymboree one, on the other hand, was $4 at a consignment shop . More our style.

Facebook friends may have seen pics I posted of Tessa's lunches using a laptop lunchbag set. There's a bento-style box inside with lots of nifty compartments that make lunch packing SO much easier. I think it makes lunch eating so much easier too since she can see it all laid out for her. Keeping the lunchboxes interesting will be a good exercise in creativity for good ol' Mom.

We told  her she can pick one day a week to eat hot lunch, and since they serve Little Ceasar's pizza every Friday she's decided that will always be her choice. She's nothing if not consistent....a pizza lovin' fool!

Charley is recovering from a cold and still not up to par. I can tell by his puffy eyes and that snot all over his face.

Tessa's school is so awesome. It's K-12 with a total of around 600 students and a Christian curriculum. Because she is full day she will get all the basic stuff in the morning and 'specials' in the afternoon like Spanish, Art, Music and P.E. All the kids have chapel once a week.

She wasn't upset or nervous at all which suprised me a little. She can be shy in certain situations. But she knew a couple of kids in class from preschool and had already met her teacher. I think she was just ready to get going and see what this is all about.

I just kinda hung around with the other parents until I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be there anymore. And then it was like...well, I guess I'm not needed here anymore, bye!

It is a strange feeling just because she's been home with me since the day she was born. We loved her preschool SO much, but honestly it was only a few hours a couple of times a week. This is a whole new level of release, one that I'm sure my working Mommy friends dealt with a long long time ago.

So we start a new chapter, just me and Charley most of the time and 8 hours a week completely to myself. But I signed up to volunteer at the school, signed Charley up for Monday morning gymnastics class and Tessa will be back at Tippy Toes for her fourth year. I hope Charley and I can go to the gym after drop of on Wed and Fri. And with the wine making, gardening and worship band keeping me busy I'm sure I won't be bored. And I've always got my xylophone.