First Day of Kindergarten

Monday night we had Open House at Ainsleys new school. She got to meet her teachers, see her cubby, drop off all her school supplies, and tour the school. We walked her there and back, and mom and dad watched Parker for us so we could focus on A. 

Ainsley has been asking me “what will i do when i want to talk to you while I’m at school?” So i got her and I matching bracelets. I told her to touch it whenever she was sad or wanted to talk to me, and i would do the same. We also read the book “the kissing hand” and kissed each other’s palms. I’m trying to reassure her in any way i can. 

Also the day before she started, during Parker’s nap time, we went to the new trampoline park with Avery, got ice cream, and her nails painted. Those girls were kindergarten ready! 

She also got a sweet book from one of her previous teachers, and confetti to put under her pillow from her new kindergarten teacher. We are so blessed with so many wonderful and thoughtful people in our lives. 

That night Philip had gotten me wine, chocolates and flowers. To keep ourselves from melting we watched one of favorite movies, Bad Boys 2 and drank some wine from a bottle Aunt Ellen for Philip for his bday, “Liberty”. 

The day of kindergarten, we had to wake her up, tried to get some breakfast in her, and get her excited for her big day. Our sweet friend Kim insisted on coming over to watch Parker so we didn’t have to wake him up and drag him with us this morning. Which was so nice. We snapped some pictures and walked Ainsley to school this morning, trying to get her to talk about how she was she feeling. She said she “really just didn’t want to go” and “just wanted to go back to her grey room”. It was cracking my heart right open but i feel like we did good reassuring her and not crying (me). 

Once we walked in and got to her room, we found her cubby and helped her hang up her backpack. She got to sit with her friend Lola (which really helped her anxiety), and we made our goodbye quick. 

Literally as soon as we walked out of her class, i lost it. Like couldn’t get it together kind of crying. I had random moms hugging me, telling me it would be ok. We stopped by the “boo hoo breakfast” for kindergarten parents , where i was the only hot mess. So we didn’t stay long, and walked home, with people stopping me on the way out to hug me. I was totally THAT MOM. 

I tried to stay busy so i didn’t sit around in my sorrow, but i was basically counting down the minutes until 2:35. As i was preparing to leave to go get her it started raining, putting me in my first ever car line. I anxiously waited for my turn to pick up my baby, and when she came out of the school my heart was beyond joyful. She wasn’t all smiles, i could see the reservations in her face as she walked to my car. She got in and said “it was ok”. But then she told me about how Senorita Lucia did a magic trick with a wipe, making it disappear. And how she asked Mrs Caudill if she could curl her tongue (she can), and how she found my note on her lunch box and carried it all through recess, and how she touched her bracelet twice because she missed me. Then she sighed and said “ it was just really long, and a lot. And took a long time to get back to you”. And i wanted to cry, but i didn’t! Then she came in and ate 3 waffles. Because they don’t get a snack time. Isn’t that insane?!

She come home and Parker hugged her and they told each other they missed each other. Don’t worry 10 minutes later they were fighting again. 

So we survived day 1. Now just hundreds more. Which is the saddest part to me, it’s the end of a chapter for all of us. But we will get into our new normal soon. I’m counting today as a {mostly} success! 

I can’t thank everyone enough for your encouraging words; texts, emails, phone calls. It meant so much to all of us today, and we could feel the prayers for peace today! Thank you all of you, we are so lucky to be loved by so many!