Brooke's 1st Day

 

Yesterday Brooke started the First Grade. I knew this day was coming, but it still feels so weird to me to be able to say I am the mother of a 6 year old who is in First Grade!!! (who feels old now?!) She had been a little nervous over the weekend about starting, she was telling everyone about it. But Monday morning she woke up on her own, got out of bed, and seemed excited about going. The night before, Arnold and I had taken care of all the paperwork, packed up her supplies in her bookbag, and laid out her outfit. Then that morning we got up at 6:30 (that was rough-- we are not morning people at all!) and made her lunch. Her first lunch of the year was a pb&j sandwich, pretzels, strawberries, and a banana cream pudding for dessert. I packed in a cute napkin with her lunch, and drew a smiley face on the ziplock baggie holding her sandwich. I also wrote LOVE YOU on another one of her baggies. I will miss doing stuff like that when the kids are older and embarassed by their mom!

 

When Brooke got up I got her dressed. I had given her a shower the night before to make the morning go more smoothly. She wore a cute little outfit from "Justice" and her new purple Converse shoes we gave her at her Birthday. Then I added a cute little ballerina bow to her hair and some new silver butterfly earrings. She looked really cute! Then we went outside to take several "first day of school" pictures. Just wouldn't be right if I didn't take tons of pics for every occasion ;)

 

We were actually out the door by 7:20, I am so proud of us. School doesn't even start until 7:50. I know that will not be a regular occurance, but it was nice that the excitement of the day helped us get on with it and out the door! All of us rode in the van to drop her off at school. The nice thing about the car-rider line is that we don't even have to get out, so the kids didn't even have to wear shoes (or me-- and my hair was still wet from the shower!) The first graders get dropped off and walk to the gym, and wait for their teachers to pick them up when it's time. I was sort-of sad that I couldn't walk her in this year, but I suspected as much. She assured me she was a big girl though, and WANTED to do it all by herself. Watching her walk up that hill and disappear from my sight was bittersweet. I bawled last year when dropping them off, but I actually did ok this year. I was pretty quiet all morning and felt like I might have held back some tears, but I was strong :) My mom gave me a call later that morning to see how I did-- love how she was checking up on me :) Me worried about my baby, and her worried about HER baby-- it's a full circle :)

 

The day seemed to fly by.. it was definitely quieter with one of the kids missing. That afternoon we went to pick Brooke up from school, and I saw her sitting on a bench talking to a little boy from her class. She was smiling and looked really happy. She got in the van and told me she had had a great first day. She said her teacher was really nice, and had told all of them that they were so smart and she might have to let them pass right on through to 2nd grade! ;) We got home, unpacked her stuff, and did her nightly reading. They have to read 10-15 minutes every night, and I sign off on it. Won't be a problem for a lover of reading like myself ;) Then I cleaned out her lunchbox, and she had eaten most of her food but left the pudding to eat after school. She had eaten through the middle of her sandwich and left the crusts. I hope to get some cookie cutters and make cute shapes in her sandwiches in the future :)

 

I am thrilled she had a great first day! :)

 



 

 

 

Got the chalk idea off Pinterest. LOVE this picture! :)

With her lunchbox. Mama might be pushing her love of owls onto her ;)

Showing off her Justin Bieber bookbag that she picked out. She added the little puppy and unicorn keychains she made Sunday.

Kids posing with Daddy

Arnold told Brooke to smile REALLY big so that is why she looks like that ;)

The little kids wishing their big sister a great day! :)