First day of kindergarten

It has arrived!!! I have been warned. It is emotional. It is a right of passage. Expect to cry. My baby is growing up.

Yeah, I don't feel emotional. My baby is growing up. That is a good thing. That means she is normal. And all I can think is I will no longer need to pay $823 per month in day care costs. If I am going to cry this is going to be tears of joy! Alright, I still need to pay for after school care but $196 per month is a far cry from $823. Kindergarten is wonderful.

I live right next door to the elementary school. Literally. Well, not my townhouse. But the complex is right next door. Only a row of trees separates the school from the complex.

We are up early. Christmas in August. Showered. Dressed. Fed. Reminders. Bags packed. Still early. Pictures. Yes, I have been told I must take pictures. Still early. We have enough time to walk to school instead of dropping her off int he carpool lane. So we walk. Slowly. Because we are early.

About half way to school she looks up at me and innocently says, "Mama, it is like I am going off to college." What??? I know they say the years fly by fast but I went from first day of kindergarten to first day of college in the blink of an eye. Literally.

I walk into school with her. Room 709 is what I am looking for. We take a left. Then a right. Then a right. Then a left. Then a left. And then I find her classroom. Are you kidding me. Why? Why would they not put the kindergartners in the front of the school. I will never be able to drop her off in the carpool lane. She can't find the dishwasher in the kitchen. How will she find the classroom?

I unload her stuff. I take a few pictures. I notice that I am the only one taking pictures. As a matter of fact I notice I am the only parent who stayed longer than 30 seconds. Actually, I notice that most kids were just dropped off. So I leave. She is fine. She has been going to school for years.

I picked her up at her after school program when I get out of work (oh you know, that half day that I mentioned in an earlier post when I got out at 5pm???). She loves school. She had a great time. She loved riding the bus to her after school program. And she loves loves loves her after school program.

Kindergarten is a good thing for all involved. Apparently!


Mean Mama