A success!

I am happy to report that Zach's first day of kindergarten was a success! Hooray! We were able to go with him today and hang out for about 45 minutes before they made all the parents leave. The teacher & her aide took the kids on a walking tour of the campus, and we parents got to follow along. I'll admit that I was like paparazzi during this walking tour, but I didn't "snap" alone. ALL the Mommies were doing it, and all the Daddies were laughing at us. It was actually pretty fun.

He only looked a little nervous when it was time for us to go, and he knew he was on his own. His teacher, Mrs. Fegley, announced that all the kids could hug & kiss their parents good-bye, and we'd be back later to pick them up around lunchtime. He kept a brave face, though I could tell he seemed uneasy, and he walked in his classroom with his peers and never looked back. What a trooper!

Aaron and I were both there, as well, to pick him up from his first day, and he was ecstatic! He showed us something he made, as well as his first "reward" sticker. (The kids get a sticker if they are good that day, then after 10 stickers, they can pick out a toy from the class treasure chest.) We took him to lunch at a place of his choice (of course, it was McDonald's), and he told us about things he learned and activities they had during the day. They read stories, listened to music, did some art, and learned the house rules for the classroom, playground, and bathroom. Oh, and I should note here that he was VERY excited about them having a bathroom inside of their classroom. He's such a guy.

He said none of the kids really talked to each other, but I told him that was normal for the first day. Everyone has to get their footing before they start really caring about who's sitting next to them. He did say there was one kid in his class that was a "turd", because he cut in front of him in line. He said when he called this kid out on it, the boy said "So ... I don't care." He then shook his head and waved his finger in the air after telling me this. He's so funny. He added then that he was going to have to "keep an eye on this one." My kid is amazing.

I, of course, have tons of pictures to post, so I hope you enjoy looking through them all. The first set are from our "meet & greet" on Sunday evening, then the second set is from today. I'll try to differentiate the two:

The "meet & greet", Sunday, August 17th

Getting ready to meet his teacher

The class kitchen

The class computers

The board where the kids are rewarded for good behavior & disciplined for bad behavior

What's a kindergarten room without a play kitchen?

Where they can sit down to "eat" what they "cooked".

The kids were told to find their names on the tables, and sit down to enjoy the toys on the table. He did just that.

His mind was blown that they had Legos sitting at his desk. I had to make sure he understood they wouldn't be there every day.

The children's cubbies.

Even his cubby is cute.

The media/play room.

The other side of the media/play room.

The beloved bathroom.

A glimpse of his teacher, Mrs. Fegley. (In the black & white)

Daddy going to see what he made.

I told him to smile, and I got this. Niiiiice.

At first site of the playground, he took off running.

Of course, first thing he does is start climbing up as high as he can go.

One side of the giant soccer fields.

The other side.

A fence like this one encloses the entire giant playground/soccer fields. Fences like these make Mommy very happy.

He calls this the "octagon-thingy."

What a goofball.

Why should kids have all the fun?

A sweaty, but happy little guy. That is, until I told him it was time to go home.

So, that was our first trip to visit his classroom, talk with his teacher, and let him become acclamated with his surroundings. It went well, and made him very excited for his first day. Here are the first day of school shots:

I told him to smile, and he did this. Pretty chipper for getting up at 6:45am.

I asked him for a normal pose, for the grandparents. He delivered.

Coming out of his classroom, ready for the walking tour.

Um, he's so much bigger than his classmates!

Mrs. Fegley, explaining what was about to happen.

Hope he enjoys how tall he is at this point, compared to his peers. If you've ever seen me, Aaron, or either of our parents, you know it won't last long.

"Hi Mom!"

Hamming it up, as always.

My sweet angel.

Notice how he's the only blonde boy in his class.

Mrs. Fegley & her aide (Mrs. Howard) rallying the troops to go inside, after they just told the parents our time was up.

Going inside to start their first day. When that door shut is when I shed a tear or two.

From his teacher. Hooray!!

As you can see, things went pretty smoothly. I decided not to take a bunch of pictures when we picked him up, as he was probably tired of seeing my camera perched in front of my face. It was a huge day, but a good day, and that's all we were hoping for.

Let me say thank you, before I close, to all my friends and family. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. So many of you emailed, called, and texted me to see how Zach was, and to also see how I was holding up. You all are the best, and I love you. I probably would've had a much more emotional day if it hadn't been for all of you being so sweet & supportive. You all ROCK!

I will update again soon, and let you know how the week finished out.

Until next time ...