{1st Day of Preschool}

Today was a big day for Olivia.  It was her very first day of preschool!  She has been so excited to start school all summer, and today was the day!

I was pretty confident that I was going to be a big blubbering mess when I dropped her off.  After all, that's my baby I was leaving in the hands of others.  There's a certain amount of control I'm giving up, trusting her teacher to take care of her and give her the same kind of attention and care I've given her the past three and a half years.

The preschool we chose is a bible-based program at a local Christian church.  The staff is warm, friendly, and comforting.  They do yoga and art on Tuesdays, as well as have a quick Spanish lesson on Thursdays.  It seems like a great fit for Olivia!  She is one of only 2 little girls in her class, so we'll see how she fares in a classroom full of boys!  After all, positive social interaction is about 90% of what they will learn at this age.

Anyway, back to how I handled the whole morning.  I dropped her off, told her I loved her and I'd be back this afternoon to pick her up.  And I did not shed a single tear.  Of course, I may have welled up just a little when I walked out of her classroom, but I am SO proud of myself for getting through today without crying!  I read a blog post another mommy friend of mine wrote when she took her little girl to preschool on the first day.  She wrote "Why weep over such a great success in her young life?"  That sentence stuck with me as I prayed for peace and strength to be happy for Liv on her big day.  Today I was granted a "peace that passes understanding" (Plilippians 4:6-7) as I dropped my baby off at school.  Only Jesus could have gotten me through this day with smiles and happiness, and for that I am so thankful!

Oh yeah, and Olivia did great, too :)

She picked out her backpack all on her own.  She had to put her shades on to complete the look :)

Outside the Stepping Stones building.  Neither of them look too happy.

Her monkey hook with her name on it.  So cute!

Checking in.  She found the red circle with her name on it and she gets to put a sticker on it every day that she attends.

First day name tags, so the helpers know who all the little kiddos are.  

I must give credit where credit is due!

You can check out the blog I referenced by Leah Whitaker here:

http://thewhitakerswindow.blogspot.com/2012/08/noras-first-day-of-school.html