First week of Kindergarten

11 Sep 2011 2 Comments

by amvhart in Back-To-School, Kids Quotes, Stay at home Mom, Twins Tags: back to school, Dolphin Organics, Kids Quotes, Kindergarten, kindergarten children, Stay at home Mom

We did it!   We all survived the first week of Kindergarten  :)   The girls have been excited about riding the “big girl” bus for over a year now.   Then, a few weeks ago, Madison surprised and worried me with a blunt “I’m scared to go to kindergarten.”   Both girls had been so tickled pink after the kindergarten tour this spring with the whole concept of the bus, the cafeteria, recess etc. that I never thought twice about anxiety.    Now I, who had been so confidently shopping for school clothes and reorganizing the playroom and closets, felt a pit in my stomach about sending my “babies” on the big bus.  I found myself wondering how they would possibly make it from the early pick up to the late drop off.

Nonetheless, Victoria kept forging ahead being the toughest of the three of us and marked each day off on the calendar.  But not just for the first day of school.  No, my little energizer bunny wanted to know exactly when her first full day would be!   We had a little back to school party for the girls’ classes so they could meet their new buddies, and I would have a chance to get to know the moms I hadn’t yet met.   The next day, all the kindergarten children and parents went in to meet the teachers and spend time in the classroom.  Both days were invaluable for putting Madison at ease.

In fact, she became so excited again, I no longer had to worry about whether I would be able to drag the girls out of bed in time for the bus.  Not even close…my little whippersnappers woke up on their own bright and early at 5:30 on the first day of school!   Lunches were packed and they were ready to walk down 20 minutes before the bus was due    I did what hundreds of thousands of proud mamas did across the country that morning — shot a video journal of the day and took enough pictures to fill a small album.   Here are just a few highlights…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t-F2KQ9-CU

Waiting for the girls to come home, I wondered and hoped that they had both enjoyed themselves, made new friends and couldn’t wait for the next day.   I, of course, gave them the third degree about what they ate, did, saw – everything.   When I asked Madison what she thought of her teacher, she replied, “I love her more than any teacher in the whole wide world!”   That is exactly what a mom wants to hear on the first day of school   This particularly means a lot coming from an emotional kid who had just spent three loving years at one of the best Montessori schools in the country where she raved about her teachers on a weekly basis.

Day two went just as well as Day 1, and when you live with the little fashionistas that I do, the camera has to come out again — especially when your 5 year old comes up with the following outfit.   She loves her LittleMissMatched

Kindergarten Fashionista

After another 530 awakening, Madison was clearly not in the mood for more pictures and asked “are you going to take pictures every day we get on the bus?”

No more pictures!

Ha Ha of course not honey, just until you graduate from high school

Meanwhile, back at home, I was already finding myself filling the school hours with meetings and conference calls as I worked to continue to build our new company Dolphin Organics.   After a week without power following Hurricane Irene, I found myself behind the eight ball with emails and To Do lists in all facets of my busy life.   Although I was really missing my daily lunches with the girls, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to finish revamping their closets and checking items off my multiple To Do lists  – and these were only half days!

And then came the first full day of school…I purposely pinned down the girls’ blinds so that it would remain dark in the room as long as possible so they could rest for the big day.   I peeled two very tired bunnies out of the bed at 7:34.   That left us only 40 minutes to wake up (usually takes 10 min) get dressed (could be as long as 20 min if fashion battles ensue) brush our teeth, feed the animals and have breakfast.  Hmmm   Somehow, we managed to get together and out the door on time.   Even though Mommy failed on the whole Day A, B, C and D for specials with each child in a different special each day and sent V to school without sneakers for PE, they survived their first full day — barely.   Madison fell asleep on the bus on the way home, and Victoria just had this blank glazed look.   We carried Madison up the driveway, and within five minutes, she was nearly asleep on the kitchen floor

First Full Day of Kindergarten

Of course, a nap at 4pm is not an option.  Let’s just say the next two hours were not pretty.   We had dinner by 5:30 and the girls were fast asleep by 6:50.   I’m thinking I’m not going to see them much when the basketball season starts

I’ll jump that hurdle in a couple of months when I need to.   Right now, I am savoring the moment watching these little princesses grow more confident and secure each day.   We have been so fortunate to have respectful, amazing young ladies in our girls’ lives.  Every time I hear them say something like “I wasn’t scared at camp anymore because Mary was there” or reminisce about a dance party at Mackenzie’s, playing makeup and stylist with Clare and Cara or having a “special girls dinner” with Molly I am so thankful that I have had an incredible circle of friends to help along our journey.   And now, a new chapter of Twins On The Go begins…

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