lambscapearchitect: the first day

School started last week.

Eloise could not contain her excitement for even one more day so it arrived just in time. She was very ready to start kindergarten. I thought we were too.

We all headed over to school on the big morning that seemed at once like it would never arrive and like it arrived way too soon.

Eloise picked out her outfit for the first day of school. It was not something new I had bought especially for the occasion. It was a two year old sweater dress on a 91 degree day chosen solely because it was the color purple. We had received a letter the week prior from Eloise's future teacher. In it, Ms. Lampa told us a little bit about herself and included the fact that she loved the color purple. Eloise was adamant about wearing that purple dress and well on her way to attempting to secure the spot of teacher's pet. She also threw in a purple headband for good measure.

We made it to the classroom and said all of our "hello!" and "how was your summer?" and "he got so tall!" as we milled around with all the other parents. Ms. Lampa gathered the children on the carpet to read two stories and then we were told that the parents would be leaving.

The second story was "The Kissing Hand". You've probably read it. Basically it is about a little racoon that is going to school and is nervous about missing his mommy so she puts a kiss in his little racoon paw and tells him that whenever he starts to miss her to open his little paw and her kiss will be right there. Stop crying already!

After the story, Ms. Lampa said she had a surprise for the kids. She gave them each a Hershey's Kiss and told them they should take it to their mom or dad and tell us that they will be fine and that if we start to miss them we can see this little kiss. I am openly crying in the classroom at this point. Eloise brought us each a Kiss, bid us farewell, and we were on our way. Kicked out. Goodbye.

I wasn't worried about Eloise at all. She is an amazing kid and so ready for this next big step. I will admit that I spent the rest of the day in our 50% quieter house looking at that Hershey's Kiss and thinking, "That's it?"

I mean, I'm not sure what I expected, but I felt like rushing to silkscreen a t-shirt with the the phrase,
"I took my kid to kindergarden today and all I got was this stinkin' Hershey's Kiss".

The feeling was fleeting. So far I am delighted with the school, thrilled that Eloise is so happy to go everyday, and proud of us for not messing up too badly for 5 whole years.

Onward and upward.