First Day of School

The week before school starts

Pre-K Orientation:

Eric was nervous.  He put on a good face for the camera, but there were a load of tears once we got inside.
2nd Grade Orientation:
On the way into the school to find her classroom Lily spotted some art on the wall that she did last year. That is hers at the bottom row. (It says Lawrence Lily... Ms Lawrence was her teacher last year)

Lily wasn't nervous at all.  She was super stoked.  She loves school and was excited that her best friend Ella (that is her in the striped skirt behind Lily) is in her class again this year.

Actual First Day

Everyone was awake, excited, dressed and ready on time.

 They look bored already.  On the first week we are allowed to walk them all the way into the classroom, after this week we'll have to just say goodbye at the outside door.

Lily never wavered.  She was excited all the way through.  No nerves at all.
There is 30 minutes between Lily's school's start time and Eric's so I have plenty of time to get from one to the other.  I was really worried about Eric because we'd seen so many tears at orientation, but he was tough.

Can't write his name yet, but he can at least identify it.

We walked him in and his teacher said hello and he said good morning in a nice loud, confident voice.  We hugged him and told him to have a good day and that we'd be back before lunch.  He said ok and no tears!  We couldn't believe it.  Then I went home and got a whole lotta sewing done.  I didn't even cry either!

At pickup Eric seemed fine.  The teacher told me that he cried a little when they were coming back inside from the playground asking for me.  She and I both just thought that he was confused thinking it was time to go home.  Well, once I got in the car, I realized that wasn't the case.  He told me his foot hurt and asked if he could he take his shoe off.  Knowing that they'd be full of sand, I helped him and found out that the tongue of one of his shoes was shoved down into the toe.  That is why he was crying for me.  As they leave the playground, they are told to take off their shoes and dump out the sand. He couldn't get his shoe back on right and wanted my help.  I asked him why he didn't ask the teacher and he said "because she's not you.  I need you, mommy" and oh boy did my tears start rolling!  I had to just buckle him and up and get in the car because I didn't want him to see me bawling over it.  We had explained so many times that the teachers would help him with anything he needed but I feel terrible that he was afraid to ask.  I know that is just gonna have to come with experience but it is hard to watch them go through something just to have to learn for themselves.
I remember that I peed my pants in kindergarten because I was afraid to ask the teacher because it wasn't my regular teacher and I didn't know her name.  It is such a vivid memory.  Of course, I made it through, and have become less shy, but I was hoping that my kids didn't inherit my fear of talking to people.
We spent the rest of the afternoon practicing taking our shoes off and on.