First Day of Kindergarten

We've had an amazing summer...so much so it called for a hiatus from blog-writing, or being anywhere near a computer for long amounts of time.  But alas, all good things must come to end (Cody and I have one more summer adventure before we settle back into real life), and with all great endings come another great beginning.  Today we embarked on a new beginning for our little family: full time public school.  Cody and I have spent many many hours debating all of our schooling options for Sean (including long pro-con lists, logic tables and emotional late-night conversations at the kitchen table)--homeschooling, Catholic school, public school, charter school-- and at the end of the day we decided the best route for our whole family this year is the excellent charter (public) school at the end of our street.  We have met so many families at our pool who go to the same school that it really fulfills this vision of a neighborhood school.  Today, which happens to be my birthday, we sent our baby off to his first day of full-day kindergarten (by the way, whatever happened to half-day kindergarten?  I would have jumped at the opportunity to only send him half a day-- anywhere!).  Our baby is SO big.  It's so trite-- but he was just a baby.  When did he become a KID?

Bruddahs. 

When did this happen?

LOVE the over-sized back pack.  Full of his pencil box (with mini-notebook, colored pencils and glue sticks), a folder, his lunch, his snack and his current chapter book, Ramona the Brave.  

Happy Birthday to me.  Now give us your first born.  

Total miniature. 

The night before my birthday, 9 years ago, Cody and I held hands for the first time.  It feels like yesterday.

Where did all these children come from!? 

We were all smiles until the moment came when we had to separate.  Then the silent tears.  And square-mouth.

Nothing a little pep talk from Daddy can't fix (and your classmates staring at you).

2 minutes later he calmly walked into the classroom with his caring and kind teacher.  

And about 4 minutes later he was up singing songs and dancing with his class.  Is it me, or is Sean a mammoth-child?  His height is even more remarkable when you think he's probably the youngest one in there, having just turned 5.  I guess all the other boys in the class chose their red uniform shirt ("for Lightning McQueen") today too.  

We are back home now, and Jamesie and I already miss Seannie's presence in our home this morning (Sis would too, but she's napping).  The lack of squabbling and bickering is nice, but we miss our playmate.  I just can't play cars with Jamesie like a 5 year old boy can.  I feel a little emptiness in my heart as I wait for the next 8 hours to tick by.  So I'm filling it with leftover birthday french toast and other carbs.  That makes it  a little better.