Here We Come Preschool

I wasn't sure if this summer was ever going to come to an end. I mean, it was glorious and....LONG.  The lack of structure was nice at first but by August we were all climbing the walls. Don't we all love the beginning of school? The colorful school supplies lined up in stores remind us of cozy routine and the comfort of structure. We know that even in Charleston, where walking to the mailbox is still a sweaty endeavor, fall is just around the hot and buggy bend. 

My little ones don't quite know how to feel about the beginning of a new school year yet, so I was filled with anxiety for them. Will I always have jitters on the night before their first day of school? I felt exactly the way I did before my own first days: nervous, excited, full of anticipation, unsure what to expect.

My boy was just plain excited, as much about the new shoes he picked out as anything else.

He even wore them to breakfast. Did I mention that they are HUGE?

This year he will be eating lunch at school, which is a new thing. He picked out a Lightning McQueen lunch box and found a simple note inside today. He is not able to read yet but can recognize a few words and symbols like Mommy, <3, and Foard. Last year his favorite activity was the playground, and this year he can't wait to do art.

The girl was having a great morning until we got to her classroom. She skipped along with her brother, unsure what all the fuss was about but excited by the mood in the air.

It will take her awhile to adjust to school days, but I know she'll do it. She's a social little thing. She especially enjoyed our walk and picnic lunch in the Old Village during the hour between her pick-up and her brother's. (Seen on a chalkboard in a store window: "The things you take for granted, others are praying for.") I am looking forward to that rare regular hour with just her and me.

The first day of school is such a mixed bag of emotion. In addition to my happiness at having six hours a week all to myself for the first time in two years, of course I was sad to drop them both off. Mostly I think about how different they are from this time last year, and how much this school year will change them. Already they seem more mature than they did when I dropped them off. Is that possible? They'll be totally different kids in May, and I'll never be able to get these little guys back again.