School Bound!

Pippa started school last week! I know it's not technically school, but close enough, right? She's in the toddler program at an area Montessori school 3 mornings a week. Big time stuff. We've been talking about it for weeks (casually, though so that it wouldn't get built up too much). I had her outfit picked out down to the pig tails for weeks, too.  ~Though, I might add that the 'colorful sandles' where not my first choice but she wears them all day, every day. If she could sleep in them, she would. ~ I scoured local boutiques and the Internet  for just the right back pack (which they now tell me she shouldn't even bring with her). Her teacher sent us some paperwork ahead of time with a butterfly picture that she was to color and bring with her the first day (we made like 8 copies of it) along with some tips for making the first day easier. One such tip was to create a goodbye routine that was short and sweet but that we could do every day for the sake of routine. So, of course I came up with one and we practiced it every chance we got.

And then the big day arrived. We tried to remain non-chalant while we got ready and I was thrilled she actually requests pig tails that day! We even managed to leave enough time to take pictures of this momentous occasion. We all piled into the car and headed to school. Sto and I were not sure how Pippa would handle being dropped off (especially since she was finally just realizing that we will be leaving her there) but where expecting a tear or two. We stepped up to her classroom and  where greeted by her teacher, Miss Lori. We turned towards Pippa to start our oh-so-special goodbye ritual only to find Pippa was already skipping off into her classroom to meet her new friends. Hmph. We had to call her back for a quick kiss and she was off again. As we turned to leave, I remarked to Sto how that was rather anti-climactic and promptly started crying. First days are definitely more stressful for the mama than the kids.

 I realized when I got home that this was the first time in Pippa's life that I was entrusting her to someone else's care. Sure she's had babysitters, but really they are just following my instructions. This time, I was following someone else's instructions! But I'm really happy with our choice of schools. Pippa is already doing great, making friends, and chatting everyone's ear off. And I got the unexpected bonus of extra snuggles from Pippa when she got home that day. Just what her mama needed.