Back to School.....

Friday, Aug. 27th was the Back to School "Meet & Greet". Parents & students got to go meet their teachers and get acquainted with their classroom. Carlaya was so excited.......until we got there. She was nervous and not herself. After meeting her teacher: Mrs. Kellerman and seeing her new desk, she put her arms around me softly and started to cry (very quietly) since other kids were in the room. I felt so bad for her, I started to tear up. She cried to me, "Mom, I'm just so nervous" "I'm scared". She was totally overwhelmed, it was really sad. I let her teacher know that she is a good student and FAST learner, but very shy and might need some consolement on the 1st day. She hugged Carlaya again. :) I've heard great things about her and I'm really glad she is so willing to accommodate Carlaya.

Here she is in her new desk, just a seat away from kids she knows. In a class of 24, she know 6-7 of them really well. So she'll be fine!

TODAY is the official 1st day of School. Carlaya got to bed pretty late and I was worried this morning might be a nightmare. She woke ME up at 7:30 and was all dressed! After a blessing from her daddy last night, she's convinced she will be just fine! We had plenty of time to pack a lunch, find her glasses, get her backpack together & even paint her toes blue! THEN we even decided to walk to school. Here we are out front, ready to go!

I know Noah hates to walk, but I thought if he rode his bike he'd be fine. Unfortunately its uphill a bit to the school and HE was having a meltdown. Carlaya pushed the stroller while I pushed his bike. He took turns riding on the foot part of the stroller and still whined the whole way. As we finally got up to the school, the bell had rung and kids were lining up. I was trying to hurry and Noah was really putting a damper on things! I finally pushed the stroller up into a corner of the playground and told Noah to just sit down by her (so I could run Carlaya over to her line real quick). As I walked away from him he was screaming, and I knew that would only attract more attention to a stranded baby & kid.

We got to Carlaya's "star" with her classroom # on it (where she will line up each day after the bell) and it was only parents left. They had just walked in! No parents allowed, and I hated to just have her follow the next class. She did know a friend in that class and their room is right next door to her's but she was panicking a little, but no tears. The next teacher was heading in and his class is one more away, so I asked him to please make sure she got to the right room. Walking between a friend from one class & teacher from another class, I hope she felt safe and calm as she got there. She seemed stressed out a little bit but fine. It was a rushed goodbye, so I am curious to see how her day went from there.

As I jog back to Noah, I see a staff member sitting with him. Oh great! That's all I need is to look like an abandoning parent. Lucky for me it was Mr. Ross, the grounds keeper/custodian. He knows who I am a little and after I reminded him, he remember helping with more than one meltdown from Noah last year. LOL He said he knew a parent must be near by but felt like he should sit with the kids until they came back. Oops! ;) Thanks, Mr. Ross!

Out front now, still having meltdowns from Noah, I realize Carlaya's lunch is in the bottom of the stroller!! I head into the office to take it to her and NO parents- at all. Usually if you bother to check in, they'll let you go back. Not today! Not anyone! Not even preschoolers parents! So I had to wait for a while for them to have another staff member take a herd of kids to their classes and Carlaya's lunch to her. I hope she gets it. The lady was going to several classes and barely listened to me while I told her "Mrs. Kellermans"!

OH, how I hope Carlaya is ok and having a fun time in school not worrying about all this drama.

At 12:50 pm today I take Noah for his 1st day. This year he is in afternoon preschool. He's excited and has had the teacher before, so it should be a breeze!