First Day!!

I figure the pictures speak for themselves. :)

I think I'll have to actually write about this later, because right now I really don't know what to say or how to describe how I'm feeling, and I think James is in the same boat. On the one hand, we're so excited because our beautiful girl is growing up. On the other hand, our beautiful girl is growing up. Oh, the heart aches.

This morning we set the alarms so we'd have time to get up and have the first cup of coffee before surprising Kayci with breakfast in bed. She beat us to the punch, though--as I was putting my shoes on, I heard her door open and little feet run into the hallway. I got the BIGGEST hug, and she said, "I'm SO excited!!" I told her that we were going to surprise her with breakfast in bed and she said she'd go get back into bed...so she did, and a minute later Daddy & I heard a funny sound coming from her room. We thought she was (for some reason?) making whining puppy sounds, and then the sound got louder and we realized it was no puppy--our Bitty was melting down. So, those are the first pictures. Some day she'll hate us for those--and the video James shot of her snarfling, "I...don't...want...to...go...to...to...Kindergarrrrrrrrten!"



Anyway, we'd kind of planned ahead for this moment and had a happy tucked away in her school bag. After calming her for a minute--it's so hard to be a parent and be honest, because telling her "well, you're gonna go anyway" didn't seem very helpful and at the same time, you can't say, "oh, you'll be fine"--I just had this conversation with Lynn. It's hard to strike a balance between honest and reassuring and just-quit-crying-it's-fine reassuring. :) Back to the happy...Kayci very, very carefully planned her first day outfit. She chose a messenger bag from the Gap (because she can carry it like Nancy Drew's sleuth kit, we found out later when she came out with it stuffed with magnifying glasses, a camera, pencils, a clue book, etc.) and then spent her Gymboree birthday money on a really cute, very traditional plaid skirt and short sleeve sweater, with matching knee socks and headband. She was so excited and we were totally shocked at the absence of shiny...until she told us, "now I'll look like Nancy Drew!" There have been several shopping trips since and more new clothes than either James or I are comfortable admitting, but she's held fast on the whole Nancy Drew first day of school. So, instead of a James Avery charm for her bracelet (that will come later, I think), we wrapped up Nancy Drew for her first day of school happy. It was a big hit, too!

So, with the hysterics under control (but not the butterflies, she wasn't able to sit and eat her breakfast), she went off to get dressed and Noble and I finished his pears and oatmeal (hence the pics of him in his Bumbo on the table...don't judge, it was a crazy morning). Once Nobley was fed, cleaned, and dressed, he and Kayci had some cuddle time on our bed while she talked on the phone and I made lunch. Again, lunch was determined well beforehand, down to the most minute detail. Her order: "A turkey, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread, cut into dinosaurs. Pickles and olives, a Capri Sun, a napkin and a note." (Every day since she started at Methodist in March 2007, we've put a note in her lunch.) So, I followed her directions but veered off course and added a cut up apple (with fruit fresh, one of my many obsessions) and instead of the usual note, I wrote a note on a pack of monkey stickers and included them. And to make her smile, instead of her regular blue ice, I put in the frozen teether that she bought for Noble (that was the first gift she ever bought for him--she was determined that the baby needed a "chew toy.")

We left for school only 5 minutes behind schedule, and it wasn't too crazy until we remembered that she hadn't eaten breakfast. We settled for the milk and a breakfast bar on the way to school--not mother of the year, but not Mommie Dearest, either. It was fun to sit at the light and watch the cars pour into the Krause Drive, and to watch an equal number shooting out as parents frantically tried to get to work by 8. As we drove in, we saw several friends leaving, but hit paydirt when the Headleys were on the sidewalk right in front of us. We also saw Ms. Alison in car line, and talked about how Daddy will pull in every morning and Ms. Alison or one of the other nice ladies will help Kayci out of the truck and then she'll go with her friends. (Wish us luck tomorrow!)

Kayci was very purposeful--she never looked back, just headed straight for her class. Man, that hall was long this morning--part of me thought we were never going to get down to the Kindergarten end, and another part of me was just fine with that :). But, alas, we made it to Mrs. Bolcerek's room and Kayci didn't hesitate...she went straight over and hung her bag on the hook, then went and got some play-doh and sat by her name. The class was very calm and quiet (very unusual for kindergarten!) and all of her friends were sitting quietly playing with play-doh. Savannah was already at her seat (at another table, smart on Mrs. B's part!) and doing great (we were worried...she has cried before at Dance, and we were all a bit anxious but she was a trooper!). It was really odd...once we got into the classroom, it was very apparent that we were unnecessary. Kayci was totally fine, and kissed me happily and said goodbye. She didn't need reassurance that I'd be back after school, none of that. I spoke with Mrs. Bolcerek for a moment (she thanked me for the goody bag we brought her last week--I was so Kristi-happy that one, we took her a teacher gift the night of Open House, two, it was in a cute monkey bag with a cute note and her room is decorated in monkeys, and three, that Open House was actually on her birthday. Score for Bitty, and her happy-loving Mommy!) Sidebar: when we got home later, there was a message from Mrs. Bolcerek which, once the blood quit pounding in my ears, was simply to double check that I'd be picking Kayci up today. Whew! Turns out, we got distracted talking about goody bags and forgot to talk about business. :)

So, that was it. James, Noble and I headed for the car and then for our prearranged Starbucks date. It was fun to see other Mommy friends there (Jennifer, Dee, Lil, even Sherri and Kaylin popped in!). After Starbucks, it was home to put Nobley down for a nap (which, if you're keeping score he STILL hasn't taken, and I'm writing at 11:11 AM) and time to make pb&j sammiches for Daddy's Food Day (Back to School theme). After Daddy left, I guess about 2 hours ago, I've gone between uploading photos, fielding phone calls, checking work e-mails and trying to finish a blog. Oh, and making beds, wiping tables, washing bottles, checking the mail...all the usual.

By my calculations, Kayci is at lunch right now. And Mr. Noble STILL has not taken his morning nap, so I'm going to take pity on him and let him have a little bottle to get him over the hump. I'm off for now...will get more pictures up later!