Don't know where THAT came from

Today I took Kari to her first day of preschool. I have experienced nothing but feelings of excitement for this day and felt totally and completely unemotional...until I got back in van after taking Kari in to her classroom. It took me by surprise. It didn't take my husband by surprise. I assured him before he left for work today that I was fine and wasn't going to cry. What would I cry about? Geez.

Kari was VERY excited about going to school and just a wee bit anxious, I think. In trying to prepare her for what was to come, I'd told her I'd be waiting outside her classroom door when it was time for her to go home. I didn't realize she would take me so literally. I said something to Joel this morning about what we were going to do once we came home from dropping Kari off, and Kari piped up and said, "But Mommy, I thought you were going to be waiting in the hallway for me!" I clarified that I was not going to be in the hallway with her brother and sister for three hours, but that I would definitely be there to pick her up when it was time to go home. She was ok once she understood the plan.

Kari wasn't emotional at all--very business-like. As soon as we got there, she gave me a perfunctory hug and kiss and said, "Good-bye, Mom!" And we left.

Joel did not make a scene (something I was a little worried about since up until a few days ago, he was under the impression that he was going to school, too), but he was quite concerned that Kari wasn't in the van with us. He had such a sad, forlorn little face. The whole way home, he kept asking, "Are we going to pick up Kari NOW?" "No, Joel, not now, in a little while." "Now???" "No, not now...."

Finally, he said, "I just 'tend [pretend] Kari's here."
"Ok, you just pretend, and we'll go pick her up soon."


We had some special Joel time this morning while Aubrey took her nap. We made green slime (thanks for the recipe and idea, Michelle!). Grandma came over for a visit, and Joel played with his snakes in the slime--a great boy activity. He loved it and appreciated the fact that the slime didn't make his hands messy. :)


Kari's teacher said she did "great," which apparently was not the case with all the kids. I overheard part of her conversation with another parent whose child thought the whole morning should have been playtime.

Kari gave me a nice, calm, "Hi, Mom," said good-bye to Mrs. Weber, and was ready to head home. I had to pry information out of her, but this is what I gleaned:

--she liked her first day
--she made some new friends (retained no names)
--she liked music class and learned about instruments
--her snack was too big (she says I need to give her fewer apple slices and only half a granola bar next time)
--some of the kids were naughty and had to go to the office

We'll see what day two holds!