first day of school

You know those moments that sneak up on you completely unexpectedly, and all of a sudden you realize in an instant that your life is passing you by in the flash of an eye? I had one of those moments this morning, whizzing along on the interstate to bring Caroline to her first day of school. Out of nowhere it suddenly occurred to me that today officially marks the end of an era....the end of her babyhood, the end of her and I spending all our days together. True, with me going back to work part-time I will still be able to spend plenty of time with her, but nonetheless, this day marks the closing of that chapter of our lives. This week she starts school at Blossom Heights, and next week I start work. Our schedules and routines will be drastically different. She'll be meeting teachers and making new friends, I'll be meeting bosses and coworkers, and we both will be absorbed into new worlds (at least for a few days each week). I know this will be good for both of us, and I'm excited about the new journey about to unfold, but I couldn't help but choke back a few tears as I realized her baby days are officially over. Then I flashed back to the days standing in line at Target with the older moms smiling at my baby and gushing at me 'it goes by so fast!' while I tried to restrain myself from choking them ("goes by so fast?! I am overwhelmed and underslept and you are insisting that this is all sunshine and roses that 'goes by so fast'?!). I smiled as I realized they were right. With time comes wisdom. Now I know better. Even with all the crying and throwing up and medical challenges one after another, it went by in the blink of an eye. 

But enough of the Hallmark-movie sappy mommy gushing. I pulled myself together and we arrived at 8:30 to a parking lot full of gleeful children and teary moms and a dropoff process that can only be called  organized chaos. First we dropped her snacks in the snack bin, then put her lunchsack and backpack in her designated cubby. Signed her in, filled out the 'notes for the teacher' form, and proceeded to wash her hands (an activity she was happy to perform.) 

Then I hosed her down with bug spray and we joined her teachers and classmates out on the playground. I must admit, their outdoor playscape is what sold me on the school. It encompasses all of the outdoor playscape design principles I strive for in my playground projects, and I couldn't think of a better place that I'd want my own child playing in. 

As soon as I walked in the door I spied this on the coffee table.
SOLD! This is one of my favorite books!

Every classroom has an outdoor patio
for art projects, messy play, etc.

Sand pits, climbing boulders, tricycle paths, tons of
trees and plants...I could hardly contain myself.

Playhouse, picnic tables, lots of elements
that encourage cooperative dramatic play.

Awesome gazebo for outdoor lessons and activities.
Fans are a must!!

Tons of fruit trees and vines, all labeled
with information so the teachers can reference
if a child asks.

Of course, the school's credentials and teaching philosophy are also very much in line with my views as well! Eco-friendly/inspiring environmental stewardship (composting, recycling, etc.), nurturing each child's individual abilities as opposed to a rigid structured format, mixed age classes (a great Montessori principle whereby older children help 'teach' younger children), a diverse but well-balanced teaching staff, and a fantastic outdoor environment including turtles, fish, and even a rabbit!

Turtles are her favorite!!

With all these enticing distractions available, it's no wonder she hardly even glanced back at me as soon as we entered the playground. She was off making a beeline for  her favorite feature, the hillslide.

I had to chase her down to tell her goodbye, and tell her I was leaving but would be back later to get her. She whimpered a bit but it only lasted 2 seconds and then she was back to playing on the slide. So I strolled out with confidence knowing she was in good hands. I even ducked inside the building for a few moments and spied on her through the window, waiting to see if the theatrics would start after she realized I was totally gone. But there were none. She immersed herself in her new environment and there was no drawn-out sobbing clinging goodbyes. I was so relieved and proud of my big girl.

With one of her teachers, Ms. Amanda

Making new friends in the sandpit

I was eager to pick her up in the afternoon and see how she'd done. When I walked through the gate I was greeted with a hysterically sobbing Caroline. This is her signature trademark, the 'I'm so happy to see you I simply must sob' maneuver. The teachers said she'd had a pretty good day, and only started crying in the afternoon when other parents arrived for pickup. (She does this at the gym daycare as well. She gets a little parent envy every time someone else's mom comes in to retrieve their child.) She took a one hour nap (on a mat on the floor! no crib!) and ate most of her lunch. Her daily report card said she was 'curious, energetic and playful', and enjoyed coloring and playing in the sandbox.

With another teacher, Ms. Marianna

the Toddler Two's classroom

Having fun with an art project, or as the teacher explained to me,
developing fine motor skills.

The reading center is sure to be a big hit with my little bookworm!

All in all, I'd call the first day a pretty good success. She came home with a few new tricks she picked up from other kids (i.e. throwing things....that's new...) and didn't spend the entire day crying for her mommy. Meanwhile I spent the day running a bunch of errands and taking care of things before work starts next week.  I'm happy we both fared well during this first day of the big transition, but man, next time I blink I'll be dropping her off at college!