Two Little Gutt Girls: Day 1

I could give you the Hallmark version of our first day of school adventures, but that wouldn’t be real. And we are pretty good at being real in our house. Maybe too good.

I’d like to say the days leading up to the first day of school were idyllic, with us huddled together as a family reading books about Kindergarten and really enjoying the last few hours of summer. The Kindergarten books were there, and we did read them a lot. We did enjoy our last week of summer, as we were in Minnesota having fun. So much fun that Lily actually missed her actual first week of school.

With Ella’s school starting August 26th, we booked a Saturday morning flight so we could be home Saturday afternoon and have all day Sunday to adjust to being home before flinging ourselves into our new reality of early mornings and schedules. Unfortunately, right before we left for Minnesota, Loran found out that he had to travel to Japan for a Monday meeting there. Granted, their Monday morning is our Sunday evening, partnered with a long flight, he had to leave for Japan on Saturday. He flew with us to Dallas where we parted ways. The girls and I flew solo to Waco and then drove the two hours to Austin. We took a dinner break and stopped for groceries on the way home. We did have some fun dipping our toes in the newly opened pool, that then closed the following day for the week.

A few minutes checking out the new pool and playground!

Sunday morning, the stress and anxiety of sending my baby off to Kindergarten and doing it alone was really setting in. I felt like I was holding it together really well, and then it happened. I reached my tipping point where I could not longer hold it together. And unfortunately for Loran, he placed an innocent phone call home right as I was falling apart. What happened? We lost a shirt. A shirt! Prior to our trip, Loran and I took the girls shopping to pick a first day of school outfit. Ella scored a few extra pieces, and Lily was pretty set with her hand-me-downs. I had the new clothes washed and folded neatly in a laundry basket that had been sitting on their closet floor. I’d done a lot of back to school prep prior to our trip so I could come home to some organization. I went to hang the girls’ new outfits up in preparation for day one and Lily’s new shirt was missing from the basket. Gone. I looked throughout the closet several times. Drawers, under the beds, in the toy boxes, in all hampers (even did all remaining laundry in the process), unfolded the towels to see if it was clinging to the towels put away in the closet, looked between couch cushions, in the backpacks…all over. I was about to lose it. Not the crying, emotional, my-baby-is-going-to-school lose it. No, the I want to throw a chair across the room and scream lose it. But I didn’t. I held it together and explained to the girls that I was frustrated that I spend a lot of time cleaning and organizing while everyone around me makes messes and expects me to fix it.

Birthday party at Little Gym!

Thankfully, we had a birthday party for Lily’s BFF to go to so we could get out of the house of frustration. The birthday party snapped us out of our funk and we all returned to the house happy and in a better place. Then, to top it off, Lily had an accident after lingering with her toys a little too long after the urge to go hit. However, what would typically be a big downer had an upswing. Ella, trying to be helpful, while I mopped the floor was attempting to help Lily procure some new clothing. As she was getting Lily some new playground pants (the leggings they wear under their dresses) Ella yells out, “I found it!!” She ran out holding Lily’s missing shirt! We all rejoiced and danced and hugged…then we realized Lily was still naked, so we got her dressed and then we celebrated the return of the shirt some more. Once that shirt was found, the mood in the house completely shifted. Happiness moved in and the dark clouds moved out. Lunches were made, baths taken, clothes (all clothes) laid out, stories read, girls in bed.

Shirt found, lunches packed. Resume back to school prep.

Our story for the night was The Kissing Hand. An anonymous neighbor left the book at our door. It’s a book I used to read to my students on the first day of school and it would choke me up then, I had no idea how I was going to manage with my sweet little girls. My voice cracked a few times, the tears welled up, but I held it together and tucked my sweet girls into bed.

Best neighbor ever, not sure who.

While they slept, I worked on finishing a project for Ella that I’d started earlier in the week. A necklace for her and matching bracelet for myself with some beads she’d helped me pick out last month. The thought behind it was that if she missed me, she would know that I would have a matching piece and we’d be connected. I wrapped it up and had it waiting at her spot at the table.

We all seemed to sleep like rocks. The 5:30 am alarm was still pretty insulting. I got the girls up around 6, and while early, both were exciting to put their new clothes on and get going to school. Ella loved her necklace and kept holding the hearts, I knew it was going to really help her through her day. We spent a few minutes video chatting with Daddy and the clock ticked towards go time. At 6:40, it was still pretty dark, so we took our photos inside, grabbed a flashlight and headed to the bus stop.

Breakfast with Daddy, live from Japan!

The sun crept up as we waited for the bus. Seeing that big yellow bus turn the corner instantly put the lump in my throat and almost broke me. Ella was excited and brave. The bus pulled up and she stepped right up and sat right behind the driver. Our fifth grade neighbor was going to meet Ella at the stop, but hadn’t arrived. As the bus door closed, the neighbor came running around the back. The bus started to creep away, as I saw her, so I started running, waving my arms trying to get the bus driver’s attention. In the end, everyone got on the bus and the neighbor girl’s mom and I shared a misty eyed hug as we watched the bus go, both exclaiming that was an early bus. Only like 166 days left of that.

Dark, but not too dark to hug!

When did she grow up? *sniff*

After the bus left, we took some candid photos of Lily and loaded into the car to meet the bus at the elementary school. I had the majority of Ella’s school supplies and had some paperwork to fill out after missing meet the teacher night when we were in MN. We actually followed the bus out of our neighborhood until it turned into another nearby neighborhood. Lily and I got to the school so early, we were the second car in the parking lot (I’m guessing the teachers have a different lot). We got signed in and then waited for the busses. Ella’s bus was the last to unload, but it was fun watching the fresh new faces file into school for the new year. Lots of excitement.

Sort of stalking Ella’s bus

Where is everyone?

We walked Ella to her class, showing her the different “landmarks” in the hall to help her find her classroom. Mrs. Ciccolella welcomed Ella with such warmth and care that only a Kindergarten teacher can show. I could tell Ella was feeling pretty confident, but her little hand kept stroking the hearts on her necklace. We found her spot, she put on her class shirts – they’re Mrs. Ciccolella’s chicks. Each child had Play-doh at their spot. We noticed that Ella’s best friend from PreK was in her class! Excitement! Ella didn’t want to leave her seat to say hi. I think her chair was grounding her and keeping her from crying. She just wanted to focus on her Play-doh and people watch. We said our goodbyes and Lily gave Ella a big hug and we were off. Lily and I stopped into Kinder Koffee in the gym and met the principal and counselor and saw a few familiar neighbors. We heard the morning announcements, stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Pledge of Allegiance to Texas. Did you know there was one of those? I didn’t, and neither did half of the parents in the cafeteria…clearly, a majority of us are new.

If Lily would have had her way, we’d have left for her school immediately. She was over this Kindergarten stuff, it was time for Lily to get to school. Nevermind that she would have been 45 minutes early. I stalled her best I could, but finally, we had to start making the moves towards her school or she was going to absolutely lose it.

Rather than drop Lily off in the drop off lane, I parked and walked her up since it was her first day. Ms. Pat was working drop off and shouted for joy at the sight of Lily. Lil was so excited to be at school, she strutted right up to her classroom as if she had never left. I took a photo of her in the front and I wasn’t able to stay because a new little friend was having a hard time and the sight of a mom, any mom, was making him feel worse. I can respect that.

The quietness in my car was eerie, however, that familiar blissful freedom of school sunk in quickly and while a part of me really wanted to just drive back and forth in front of the elementary school slowly all day like a creeper, I felt good knowing the girls were in such good hands.

When I picked up Lily after lunch, she was a little motor mouth. I heard about her day, what she played with, new friends, old friends and her little exclamation of, “all the mean boys are gone!” was adorable (Lily’s class last year was very 6 year old boy heavy, and they were busy boys – which is the teacher way of saying, uffda – which is the Minnesotan way of saying, those boys were a genuine handful).

As 3:18 crept closer, Lily and I had our shoes on at 3:05 and while I wanted to go out and wait for the bus, I knew my going out early wasn’t going to bring it any earlier. I was so excited to see Ella. Lily and I headed out, but the bus was running behind because of it being the first day. It was hot, and we were standing in the blazing sun for almost a half hour. Lily and I played with her Barbie, walked around the sidewalk, threw rocks in the holding pond. Lily was giving up and actually walked halfway home before returning to me with a lame excuse that the door was locked. But then, the bus came! We waved, and I may have jumped up and down a little. Ella was sitting with another Kindergarten girl in our neighborhood, lots of smiles. A great day, even though I forgot to pack her a snack. She showed me the math sheet she’d done, the keepsake puzzle she made (her teacher gave out two keepsakes today – I like her style). Ella seemed to really enjoy her day and got a huge kick out of being a little chick.

Tomorrow should be a bit easier because I won’t have to get Lily ready to go out the door. She can either sleep or come to the bus stop in her pjs and after Ella heads out, we’ll have 1 1/2 hours before we have to head to Lily’s school.

We did it! We made it through the first day of Kindergarten! All of our clothing items are accounted for, no chairs were broken, everyone was happy, lunches were packed (and are packed through Wednesday!) and only one snack was forgotten. We’re off to a great start with Lily in year two of preschool and Ella the Kindergarten chick.