K is for Kindergarten

The last month has been hectic for my little family - to say the least. In all the craziness that was Autumn's diagnosis and surgery I never had a chance to write about her very first day of "big kid school".

Almost exactly a month ago Autumn officially started Kindergarten.

She was excited and nervous all at the same time. All of the kids that she went to VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) with were enrolled at different schools - so Autumn walked in knowing no one. Steve and I really talked up how exciting that was, of all the new people that she would get to meet. We played guessing games about what her new friend's names might be - would there be an Ashley? a Katherine? maybe another Autumn? Our discussions about what she was feeling and letting her know that it was perfectly normal to feel anxious or nervous about something new seemed to help calm those little nerves.

The Thursday before Autumn's first day her elementary school had an Open House. We were able to take Autumn to meet her teacher, check out her classroom and see some of her classmates. Autumn is a planner {I can't imagine where she gets that from} and she thrives on knowing what is happening/going to happen next, so having the opportunity to check everything out ahead of time put her mind at ease. She was nothing but ready for Kindergarten when we left the Open House that night.

At the Open House, Autumn's teacher had placed little packages on each of the kid's desks for them to take home. There was a label on the front that said "Open the night before Kindergarten" - and so we did. Inside was a bag of "glitter' {confetti} and a sweet poem. The poem explained that everyone gets nervous the night before doing something new, so Autumn was to place this magical "jitter glitter" under her pillow and it would help her get a good night's sleep. It also said that because her teacher was nervous too, she would be doing the same thing. Autumn loved it!

I had prepared a last minute "first day of school" breakfast, for the kids to wake up to, the night before. I made crock-pot French toast and let the kids drink out of their "milk jars". As far as décor is concerned, because I didn't plan ahead, I had to use what I had around the house - or what I could print off the computer.  It was a fun way to start the morning and put everyone in a good mood.

Steve and I had both taken the morning off of work so we dropped Nate off at preschool and then headed to the elementary school with Autumn. We walked her to her classroom, made sure she got settled in her seat and then hovered, with the rest of the Kindergarten parents, outside in the hall peering through the window. Once I was convinced she was OK, Steve and I went on our way.

That afternoon I picked Autumn up from school. She was telling me about her day before she was even all the way into the car. She recited the classroom rules, told me where the bathrooms were, which way you had to turn to get to the music room and who she sat with at lunch - a little girl named Ashley.