Ella's 1st day of Kindergarten

As I just dropped Ella off for kindergarten, I just had to take a moment to ask, "How did this cute baby become old enough to be in kindergarten??

Now back to the big day. Ella has been so excited to start Kindergarten. Although she has been crazy excited to start school she has asked some great questions while gearing up for the day:
1) How will I know where my classroom is
2) How will I know who my teacher is
3) Why doesn't the bus have seat belts
4) Where is the potty

She has been most excited about
1) Riding the bus
2) Being in the same class with her good friend, Amanda
3) Learning to read
(she knows her letters and sounds but will be working on
site words in the first few weeks)
4) using her new school supplies

Armed with two crafts for her teacher, Mrs. Walden, she was ready to go. Who says bribes don't work? The whole family piled in the car at 12:45 pm (drop off started at 12:55) and we were met with a huge line of cars and daycare buses. We were one of the last cars but as we approached the front of the line, the anticipation was crazy (aka, it was a car full of happy, laughing kids). We got to the front of the line and although I thought we would drop her off at the front of the school and the teachers would walk her to her room, I learned that we drop her off right outside her classroom. There are two doors (for 2 PM kindergartens) and the kids were put in the line which corresponded to their teacher. How cool that I dropped her off right where she entered the building. Love that (I guess I am remembering my Kindergarten days where the bus dropped us off what seemed like a mile from the actual room...probably a few minute walk in reality).

Ella had been practicing her teacher's name for over a week but when the big moment came where they asked who her teacher was and which line she needed to be in, she choked. That's ok, El! Mama got your back :)
But she sure knew her bus number!



I asked Ella what she did in Kindergarten and she was quick to tell me:
--Circle time,
-- A game to learn everyone's name
(Ella was proud Mrs. Walden remembered her's and wanted me to know the teacher didn't remember Amanda's name)
--Sat at their tables. Ella said you could pick who you sat with and she sat with her friend, Amanda, three other girls and one boy.
--They colored and then they put their name tags/bus tags on to go home.
I am sure there was more stuff in there
but this was all she wanted to tell me.



Getting out of the van
This is where I love automatic doors. Right now, the 2 teachers are coming to each car and getting the kids out but in a few weeks, they want all the kids to know how to open the door, get out themselves (if they can) and get it two lines so we can speed up drop off.
Yeah, with automatic doors we pass that test.





Heading into class. They walk directly into the room.



Their room has a cowboy theme.
No Mrs. Walden doesn't always wear that crazy hat :)



I think somebody was happy to play the Big Sis now



Ella's first piece of Kindergarten artwork



Bus #57
That's us!



The bus drops the kids off right infront of our neighbor's house.
This will be great during the winter so we
don't have to stand in the cold forever.



She was tired after the 2 1/2 hours of class but
was happy to get a mama hug (as was mama).





Her bus tag is ready for the next day



What a great first day but what is now just hitting me
is that we do this everyday!
Not like preschool where it is every other day, this is every day baby :)
Happy 1st day, Ella!