and so it begins.

Today was Isabelle’s first day of pre-school. No tears from anyone! Although Lincoln was a bit perturbed he didn’t get to stay and play with everyone. He thinks he’s big.

We packed her backpack last night and picked out her outfit and laid it out carefully. She told me she would eat her yogurt “fast fast fast” in the morning so she could hurry and get to pre-school. Jazz gave her a father’s priesthood blessing for her first year of school. I remember all of the blessings that my dad gave me, every year before school started, all of us sitting around the kitchen. I pictured Isabelle as a 16-year old sophomore getting a blessing in 12 years. How is it possible it is time to start all of this?

I dropped her off and stayed for a few minutes to get the feel of how it goes- there are six mamas and six kids and we all do roughly the same routine, sing the same songs and go over the same weather/alphabet/calendar information. After circle time I left and she didn’t even bat an eye.

For 2 1/2 hours me and Linc ran around and got tons of stuff done. Errands are easier with one kid! Hard to remember how that was… And at 11:30 we came to pick her up and she was bursting with stuff to tell me about Africa and the letter A and going on a safari with binoculars and all her new friends. When we got home she unzipped her backpack with her new pictures and worksheet and showed me all the things she did.

It’s sort of amazing, because I thought I would be a tiny bit emotional, or she would be clingy, or something, but it wasn’t a big deal. She is old enough for this- it is good for her social skills, for her brain, for body. She will learn all the things that she needs to before kindergarten. Ohhhhh kindergarten, that one will for sure bring tears. She is ready for the next thing.

showing me her “packpack.”

Lincoln sees an airplane.