First Day of Kindergarten

We survived the first day! I was up very early to make sure everything was ready, but I had been up late the night before to get things ready so I was mostly up early for no reason. Juliana had a very difficult time falling asleep Sunday night so getting her up and moving was not easy. She told me it was too early to be awake and complained when I turned on a light. We made it to the kitchen table and when I turned around to get her some breakfast she went into the living room and went back to sleep.

Eventually she let me dress her and she looked so grown-up. We all walked to the corner for the bus – we had a crowd for the first day – my parents, Scott’s mom, the boys, Scott and me {thanks to my dad for taking most of the pictures so I could concentrate on Juliana}. We were at the bus stop 10 minutes early as requested and the bus arrived at the scheduled time. She will be the 2nd pick-up in the morning so we will be out the door early each day and she will have a longer ride to school, but a short ride home in the afternoon.

We confirmed that she was getting on the right bus and she gave me a quick hug and got right on the bus and sat down. We waved until she was out of sight and then I shed a few tears. Wyatt cried more – he was so excited when the bus came and then Juliana got on and left and he didn’t get to go. My mom took the boys for a walk in the wagon and every time a bus drove by Ru waved and said , “bye-bye Juliana” and Wy pointed at the bus and angrily yelled “NO”. [Their childcare program is closed Monday and Tuesday this week so my mom is home with them.]

The bus information we received from the school district did not contain a drop-off time, it simply said the schedule was too variable during the first two weeks and to expect drop-off 20 minutes after school ends. At Kindergarten orientation we were told that the buses usually leave the school late the first week because they are double-checking to make sure that all of the kids who should be on a bus are on the right one.  It’s a good thing we can see the corner from our house, because the bus arrived much earlier than we expected.  I ran full speed to the corner because I promised I would be waiting there and I was standing at the door when it opened. She turned around to wave to someone before she bounced down the steps with her backpack in one hand and her sweater in the other. She gave me a big hug and told me that she loved Kindergarten.

Wyatt was very excited to see her, he clapped when she walked into the yard. Maybe earlier in the day he was concerned that she was in trouble getting on that bus all by herself without a parent.

Details on what happened at school were sketchy. Her initial description of her day: I went to my classroom and I was the last one in my class to get there and Miss W talked about stuff. We had recess and lunch and a snack and Miss W read books to us. We didn’t do math or practice reading and I don’t have any homework. When I asked her if she wrote her name on any papers she told me that all of the kids wrote their names on the board because Miss W is going to bring her dog to visit (I am unsure how those 2 things are related).

The worst part of the day – no one sat next to her on the bus on the way to school. But on the way home a girl from the other Kindergarten class sat with her.

Highlights – playing octopus tag, learning about Miss W’s dog, recess, the watermelon I packed in her lunch

Last night as we picked out her clothes for today she told me that she was so excited to go back to Kindergarten and see Miss W and all of her new friends! I am relieved that the first day is over with no drama and that she is excited to go back. {Bonus picture below of me on my first day of Kindergarten}