Today was Grayson's 1st day of Kindergarten. We are fortunate to live in a school district with an excellent public elementary school (we actually bought our house 4 1/2 years ago in anticipation of this day). So today was Grayson's 1st day at the big school (there are 6 Kindergarten classes!).
Last week we met his teacher and visited his classroom. His teacher has been teaching for 25 years, and the past 13 were teaching Kindergarten and First Grade at his school. She is very warm and very outgoing. She loves to garden and cook, and even has a garden in the courtyard outside the classroom that the children will help tend.
There are 18 kids in Grayson's class. 3 of them went to preschool with him, and 1 is in his Sunday School class at church. So he already has friends in his class, not to mention the dozen or so other Kindergarteners and First Graders he knows in other classes from his preschool and our street. Needless to say we are really excited about this school year!
This morning I walked Grayson to his classroom. Soon we'll be carpooling with a neighbor and dropping him off in the morning. But not today. Today was special.
He immediately got to work tracing. It was a little bit chaotic in the room with all the parents taking pictures, so I think he wanted to focus on a project. He's a lot like his Mom in that way.
After a long day filled with learning new school rules, having lunch in the cafeteria (PB&J!), playing on the playground, and having a brief rest/snack time . . .
. . . he rode the school bus home along with a good friend who lives a block away from us and the other 6 kids from our street who go to the same school.
I was nervous about him being nervous about the bus.
But in typical Grayson style, he was just fine. And right after this picture, with the same grin spread across his face, he said to me "Mom, I did it, I went to Kindergarten." Yes you did, baby, and Mommy could not be more proud of you. And you'll never know the tears (of both happiness and sadness) that were shed at such an important milestone in your life, or how much your Daddy and I truly love you.
Max brought his school bus to the bus stop to meet Grayson. He was pretty excited to see a
real school bus up so close. And he was also really happy to have his best friend home.
And about an hour after school, after he had consumed several home baked chocolate chip cookies, I asked him to just rest (no nap necessary) in his bed for half an hour. Within about 5 minutes he had fallen asleep and I had to wake him up 45 minutes later so that we didn't mess up bedtime. It was a great first day.
New shoes! Aren't these little red Converse shoes adorable? His teachers recommended the kids wear shoes with laces, so they can't take them off themselves. Makes sense! Max would be the first kid with his shoes (and socks) off if he could.
After about a minute of holding on to my leg, Max spied the balls in the popper machine and was off and running.
For the hooks where the kids hang their bags, each parent was asked to make a little person that looked like their child. I think I did ok. It still amazes me that I have a blue-eyed, blond curly haired little boy!
I tried to get a picture of Max next to his little person, but this is not so easy when you're nearly 2.
And speaking of bags, this is Max's first year to have the school's special green bag. He'll keep this all the way until he moves on to Kindergarten at another school.
He's very proud of his green bag. Grayson had one for the past two years, and now he has his own - and it's brand new!
