First Day of School

While I might not have had a first day of school, but this little girl sure did...

 . "You guys and these signs are hysterical!"

"Let me see if I approve..."

 . "Ok, I'm in!"

She and AJ will go two mornings a week from 8:30-12:30 and I am both relishing the time alone and dreading her being away from me.

If only the church volunteers from last fall could see her now.  Isabella is no longer the poster child for separation anxiety-yahoo!  I give all the credit to Daniel Tiger. 

This summer when we decided to try church again we did three things:
1.  Defined what church was.  Calling it school as it is technically Sunday school and serves as her preschool.
2.  Watched Daniel Tiger's Grown Ups come back episode ANNND bought the book.  Read on repeat.
3.  Visited the classrooms the day before we were going to return to church so she could see it and made the connection to the Grown Ups Come Back song.

That was the missing link.  Ever since whenever J.T. or I are away from her she sings (in a horribly adorable no-key kind of way) "Grooown ups come back".  So that meant the only tears today were mine.  In the car.  Not sad, not happy, just tears:).

As I said, the preschool they will attend is at our church.  I waffled back and forth between this one and another.  Ultimately there were a few reasons that made this the better choice on paper.  Also I have always been impressed with all the programs at our church so I put my faith in them that even though the preschool is only its second year it too would flourish.

After a lackluster first day from a parent perspective we are going with the wait and see approach.  At the end of the day they are absolutely safe and in a stable environment, but things are kind of chaotic at this point and her teachers seemed a bit overwhelmed.  I picked them up smiling, Isabella said she "had fun" and they each had a good report so we shall see what the coming weeks bring:).