First Day of the First Grade....

It's the first day of the first grade! First day of the third grade! (That's a little Veggietales music for you!)
I've been working on this post forever... trying to find a way to edit the disaster that became the annual "1st day of school cake". I was in such a hurry and I thought I would save some time by making homemade chocolate frosting and using a store-bought tube of decorator icing to do the writing. I was so wrong. You can't read any of it, but the idea is to document what grade everyone is starting that year and then have a yummy treat when they get home. It was a yummy treat, so at least it served one purpose!

Here is Daphne on the big day! And my handsome, enormous 3rd grader:

Daphne, our resident super-model:

I think this one is my favorite... I love how you can see all their little personalities in it.

Victoria had to have a turn holding the cake (very carefully)

Matt and I spent much of the summer praying and planning for how we would handle the first week of school. August is an especially stressful time for us, I am always trying to go school shopping and getting the kids ready while simultaneously preparing my own classroom and meeting my students. Matt's boss wanted him to go out of town on a business trip for the first week of school.
I said no.

And that was okay.

Except that they then said that they would need him to come in at 7 am the first few days of school. And that was not okay.

We have a rather delicate morning arrangement. I have to be at my school, with Tori at 8 am. Matt takes our big kids to school at 8:45 and goes to work at 9. It is perfect.

When everything goes perfectly.

The first week of school is not the time for everything to go imperfectly, but this year, it just seemed like that was our fate.

My very first day is actually an orientation for my student teacher, so I don't have children in my class until the second day of school. Because of this little bit of flexibility, I arranged to be at my school around 9:15 so that I could take my sweet Isaac and Daphne to school for the first day. And to be honest, I would have tried to swing that arrangement either way. I have missed being the drop off parent on too many first days of school and I wasn't going to miss this one for anything.

So... we had a first day plan, with a tentative and precarious second day plan... but we felt confident we would be able to figure it out. And then... I got an email from the school. Apparently, our school has "Back to School Morning" on the first day of school in lieu of "Back to School Night". I cried and cried and then cried some more. So, basically, if I wanted to be the dedicated parent (my first job always) I wouldn't be able to go to my first day of school as a teacher. And vice versa.

I am blessed enough to work with some amazing women who love children and love their families and who completely understood and empathized with my predicament. My sweet asst. directors suggested that I arrange to do my orientation with my student teacher on another day so that I could spend the first day of school just being "Mommy". Thanks, Sherrie and Camie and Carole. I love all three of you and admire you so!

And so I did just that. I got to spend the entire first day of school wearing only my Mommy hat and I loved every minute of it. Even the teary ones.

I couldn't believe the pangs in my heart and the apprehension and concern for their safety and confidence. I think I spent the entire morning in one long mental prayer. Here is my sweet Daphne and her friend, Megan, who was a little sad to leave her mom.

Even though I felt apprehensive and concerned, Daphne looked ready to take on the world. Look out First Grade, here comes Daphne. Prepare yourselves.

And here is my precious Isaac, with his friend, Jake (notice the height difference between Isaac and the other 3rd graders).

Isaac looked a tad bit like I felt, but never said a word of concern. He seemed capable.

I left them with a prayer in my heart and tears on my cheeks. I wasn't ready for this.

But even if I wasn't ... they were ready.