First Days of School

Tate started fourth grade on Friday. FOURTH GRADE! I can't believe it. By fourth grade, I had a crush on Jeff Reed and walked with Neil to school everyday alone and then walked home and stayed at home until my mom got home from work. Wow times have changed. Here she is in her new fancy shirt.

She has Mrs. Wright this year who I have heard amazing things about so I am super excited. Her best friend Abbie is in her class yet again. They have only been separated for first grade. So special for them! She is really getting older to me just recently. She is asking me a lot more about my opinion on things to wear and if her hair looks nice. Don't get me wrong...she just pushed strollers around the block with Paige on Sunday so she is still my little girl but I can see the changes coming in little things she says and does.

On to a bigger announcement....PAIGE STARTED KINDERGARTEN YESTERDAY! With her being the baby for so long and having an extra year in preschool because she missed last year's cutoff date, I really should have been prepared for her to start school, but I really wasn't. I guess I just assumed she would always be my buddy home with me. She had a perfect first day! Here are a few pics.

She was up early without us having to wake her (not the norm around here). She could not wait to go and was ready at 7:30 (thirty minutes early). We all walked her in to her classroom and watched as Mrs. Stallings (awesome loving teacher) showed Paige her cubby and helped her unload her backpack that seemed to engulf her back. She did not do her nervous hair thing which made me so happy and kept the tears from rolling. Tate went along to her class and I quickly told Mrs. Stallings that I was due this week just so she would know in case it happened while Paige was at school. I'm tearing up just typing this because it was not what I expected after our struggles with preschool and her nervousness. She has grown leaps and bounds and I am so proud of her. Here is a pic of her getting off the bus.

I peppered her with questions once we got home. Her favorite part was riding the bus. She said she explored the school and visited the "paint" room (art) and computer lab. She ate lunch with her teacher and saw lots of friends from our street. Tate saw her in her class too later in the day. Mrs. Stallings asked her about upper and lower case letters. She colored a picture and found out Olivia from her dance class is in her class. Only six students go each day this week so the teacher can assess them. She'll go back on Friday to meet her entire class which includes her best friend Jackie. I think she may let me walk her in on Friday, but she is so determined to be independent I bet I won't get to do much more than that. What a sweetie! She is not much of a snuggler but after I took this picture I did get a big hug which I won't forget!

Now we await the newest Brennan who is due on Saturday. He is determined to be on time I guess. Not a bad habit to get early but I am ready for him to get here. The girls will look so huge then.