Olivia's First Day of Kindergarten

Olivia started kindergarten this past Wednesday. She is going to the morning class at the same school my mom works at and she is in the same class as her cousin, Rix. Getting up and having her ready by 7:20am is hard, but I figure I'll get used to it (and use Saturdays as my major sleeping in day!). She and Rix eat breakfast at school (it's free!) and then go to class at 8am and we pick them up around 11am. I'm not too thrilled with half day kindergarten. Not that I want Livvy gone all day, I just don't think she can learn a ton in the two and a half hours she's there. Oh well!

She picked out her own backpack (My Little Pony) and her own outfit for the first day. She was super excited, and Jack was super sad because he wants to go to school too. Celeste and I walked the kids in to the gym/cafeteria their first morning and showed them where to get their breakfast and where to wait for their teacher. Then we walked to the classroom with them when their teacher came to get them. I thought I would be all emotional, mostly because it's like an unwritten rule that either the child or the mom (or both) were supposed to cry the first day of kindergarten. It was the opposite for us. Olivia has been in preschool for two years so I'm used to leaving her, and she's used to being left at school for a couple hours. Instead, we were both excited for this new chapter in her life.

Olivia and Jack at home. Jack insisted on hugging Olivia and Olivia had to be talked into it. Usually it's the opposite, but I think Jack was going to miss her!Olivia and Rix waiting by the wall in the gym for their teacher. I love how their backpacks are almost as big as they are!Olivia and I waiting together. She was super excited to start kindergarten, which made it so much easier for me to leave her there in a new place. Here she and Rix are looking for their cubbies to hang their backpacks.Olivia and Rix on the carpet. They each have to pick a square to sit in for the morning activities. It was cute, Rix sat down first and called for Olivia to sit by him. He said "I saved you a square!" Although I've learned that if Livvy is going to wear a dress to school, she needs to wear some little shorts underneath it. She is SO not lady-like in a dress!

I couldn't find Jack for a moment, then looked over at the carpet and spotted his little red head. At least he follows the teachers directions even if he's not in the class, right? He sat right down on a square (after getting into the dress-ups). I had to bribe him to leave the classroom.

Olivia, I know you are going to love kindergarten and learn so much this year. I hope you learn to be yourself and make new friends. I hope that this passion for learning that you have will stay with you all your life. I hope you will always be this excited to go to school!