The First Day of Pre-School

Eating the breakfast of champions - bagel toast with cinnamon and sugar!

The two kiddos would not cooperate for a photo together.

This is mommy...today was the G-man's first day of pre-school!  Can you believe it?!  Over the past couple of weeks we have been talking about riding to school with Aunt Kelly and Luke (I took him and picked him up today), sitting nicely in the gym before walking to the classroom, having fun with the other kids and Nanny Patty picking him up.  All this for a program that is only 8 AM - 11 AM, but a big step, none the less.  We went to the Open House, had a Home Visit with his teacher, plus he has been going to visit the Speech Therapist at the school since February of last year, so he was familiar with the school and some of the faces. 

But what I did not prepare Grady or myself for was upon entering the gym, the amount of kids in his class that would be screaming and crying.  As we walked through the doors, Grady's grip on my hand got tighter and he said "Why 'ey 'cying?" (Why they crying?).  To which I replied, "I don't know, I guess they must be sad."  Seriously, what do you say so your kid doesn't join the others screaming and crying??  At this time, I also had tears in my eyes, but then was laughing, trying to imagine what was going through my little man's head.  When we got to the section of the gym for his class, he found his nametag, put it on and then spotted Aunt Kelly.   I gave him a hug and kiss and then left.

Later in the morning, I got an email from the Speech Therapist with an update on Grady - he didn't cry, sat himself down with the rest of the kids, put his backpack in his cubby and was playing with Play-doh - way to go Grady!!

Fast forward to pick-up time.  I am waiting with several other parents outside the doors when I see Grady through the glass doors...crying.  His teacher led him over to me.  Apparently he got upset when he had to leave music class to go back to the classroom and then got upset again when it was time for the kids to separate into bus riders and car riders/walkers.  He is a car rider and didn't want some of the other kids to leave early (the bus kids leave earlier than the car riders/walkers). 

But, as we were leaving the school, I couldn't get a word in edgewise, he was busily telling me about his morning, his activities, that he did NOT sing in music class and on and on and on.  When asked if he was ready to go back tomorrow, he said "Yes!" rather excitedly.  I'd say it was a good first day.