Luke's First Day of Kindergarten!

Hug goodbye to Daddy
Waiting for the bus. Well the first day of Kindergarten came and went. I've been so busy and exhausted I haven't had a time to post till now. Preparation started the night before.. Mommy had all Luke's clothes laid out and ready to go.. I kept going over and over everything to make sure he was ready. After a while I figured out that I was actually trying to avoid going to bed, b/c then his first day would come faster! I did finally go to bed, but I didn't sleep well... and finally gave up and got up at 6:15am.. Luke came out at 6:45am, he said "Mom, I woke up early b/c I remembered something! -KINDERGARTEN!" So the two of us snuggled a bit on the couch before getting ready for the big day.

Luke was very serious about going to school and being on time. He was after Abby to get moving... and get dressed so he wouldn't be late to go out and wait for the bus! :) Daddy was able to stay home and see Luke off on his big day. I kept telling him all the things he was supposed to do when he got on the bus, and off the bus, and in to his class ect...I drilled him over and over to make SURE he knew which bus to come home on (since our friends daughter accidentally got put on the wrong bus!). I even made him a bus tag for his back pack, just in case someone were to see him in the wrong line!

Before we knew it the bus was rounding the corner! We walked Luke across the street, snapped a picture.... on the bus steps and watched him climb up (on the BIG YELLOW BUS!)... his little head disappeared, and no little hand came up to wave at me... the big lump began to grow in my throat as the bus driver closed the door and took off for the next stop. In a moment the flood gates had opened wide! and a very hormonal and emotional, pregnant Mommy had witnessed her baby driving off w/ a stranger and a bus full of kids we did not know. GULP!... My goal now was to get in my car FAST and drive up to school to watch him get off and make sure he made it to his class ok. I felt confident that he would, but I do like to "capture the moment"... and it helped me more than him.... to see him off on his first day of school. Rich tried to stop me for a hug, and I remember pushing him off and rushing to the car, fearful of being slowed down one second!! Abby was such a sweetheart... we were driving down the road and she said "Mommy, you are funny! (b/c of my crying)... I had warned her that I would cry. Then she said "But Mommy, WE can be friends!" and then she proceeded to tell me she would go to the grocery with me if I wanted. Of course that just made the situation worse... and the tears really flooded out! So now I'm actually trying hard to focus on the road b/c my eyes are so blurry I could hardly see. I made 2 phone calls to the grandma's to let them know the minute had come. I think they both had lumps in their throats for me... b/c they too had been in this position!

At school, it was great to see Luke come off the bus and charged up the stairs w/ all the confidence in the world.. straight to his class... Rich and I were commenting on how he's more outgoing then either of us felt in school. I followed him from a distance and watched him walk to his class.

Once in class he hung up his bag, and found his name tag and assigned seat.
Abby and I waved goodbye and headed back home. It wasn't the same without Luke home. Very quiet!!!! although that's not so bad! :) it's just not the same... and everyone knows someone is missing!

I spent the majority of my day looking at pictures, downloading videos and talking to friends who had been through it before, or who were just going through it that day as well. It helped to have the support and understanding of others who had so freshly released their baby's to the world!

Before we knew it, it was time to wait for Luke's arrival. Abby and I sat outside on the drive (very early)... to make sure we didn't miss him! It was great to see him round that corner. At last... I saw his little hand waving from within the bus! :) He came down off the stairs w/ a smile and Mommy's special note in hand. ( I wrote him a note to read on the bus). He was very excited about it. In a heartbeat, Luke remembered the Pringles Chips, I had bought to celebrate, and he went running in to gobble them up. I recorded his first comments about school in between munching on chips... and looked through his bag at all the stuff he had done.

I was very pleased to hear that he liked school so much he almost didn't want to come home! :) Definitely a good feeling when you've contemplated home schooling!

Luke talking to Daddy on the phone telling him all about his first day at school!