Back to School 2010

Today was a big day! Emma had her first day of kindergarten! I have been much more nervous than Emma has been about this milestone I think. My first baby is very ready for school. The main reason I have been nervous is that kindergarten where we live means that she goes to school 8 hours a day, 5 days a week...that's a huge change from last year's preschool hours...2.5 hours, 3 days a week. I worry that Emma will be totally exhausted at the end of each school day. Of course, Emma is not the only little girl to have gone through this so I am sure she will be fine, just like all the other kids are fine!

The second reason I have been nervous has to do with the big yellow school bus. This is the same bus Emma has been so excited about taking all summer long. I had a sneaking suspicion that she would have a hard time getting on that bus when it came down to it...unfortunately I was right. Emma completely refused to get on the bus - the bus driver even got out of the bus to try and convince her. Emma is very stubborn. She would not get on. My only other option was to drive her to school. Thank goodness Nancy and Eileen were helping out with the other children...it would have been much harder if I had to pack everyone up in the car... Anyway, that ends today's drama. When Emma got to school she happily got in line with her class and casually waived goodbye to me with a smile on her face. It was wonderful and sad at the same time. My baby is growing up!

Last night we had a little back to school party to celebrate the new year. Henry doesn't start preschool for another 2 weeks but he didn't seem to mind. They loved the funny eyeglass straws and made quite a mess trying to make them work. We gave Emma roller skates, which she has been asking for forever, and Henry a baseball glove and ball. The dinner was topped off with raspberry cream cake - yummy! It was a great way to mark this big occasion in our childrens' lives.