Nathan's First Day of Kindergarten

Like, whoa. Sending your firstborn off to kindergarten is no small deal, my friend.

All summer long, we've talked about kindergarten. People have asked us about kindergarten. Is he riding the bus? Where is he going to school? Public or private? Does he know anybody going there? Do you have your school supplies yet? How are you feeling about it--anxious?

Well, by the tail end of August, let me tell you: I was ready for him to go! The anxiety was just about killing me!

Nathan, true to form, has not been nervous or anxious for a second. Rather, he's been super pumped and ready for kindergarten to just start already!

I was very proud of myself because I shed not a tear before he got out of the car. Not while I was laying his clothes the night before or writing a note in his lunch box. Not when I was packing up his backpack, or attending orientation, or visiting his classroom for the first time.

{Be kind. I'm having a baby in three weeks. I know I look like a swollen potato.}

Of course, when my baby got out of the car, well that's another story entirely. I really did cry hard for about two minutes. Like, I was embarrassed to be out driving and sobbing at the same time.

Like I said, it's no small deal to send your firstborn off to kindergarten.

It's like you spend five or six years parenting and teaching and loving and encouraging and disciplining, and then one day, they're gone from 7:30-2:30 five days a week. WHAT!? Does he know how to open his gogurt by himself? Will he know where the bathroom is? What if he's confused on a direction for a class assignment?

And you kind of just say to yourself, Well, I guess he'll figure out how to open his gogurt and find the bathroom and figure out school. Without me there to help him. Oy. Gulp.

Thankfully, Scott made it home early for pictures and to drop Nathan off with me. I think he's equally baffled that Nathan is in kindergarten. I'm not sure how other couples are, but how can you not have the "Don't you remember when he was born and we were bringing him home from the hospital?" conversation!?

I really, truly don't worry about my Nathan James at all. He is so outgoing that he always has lots of friends. He's wary of children with bad behavior {thank goodness! hope that one sticks around forever}. And in terms of academics, he's been reading for nine months, he's working on first grade sight words, he's incredible at math, and well, braggy mom or bust, he's just very smart. I know he will thrive and shine in kindergarten!

Jack keeps asking me throughout the day, "Are we going to get Nathan now?" It's hard for me to explain to him that Nathan is gone for most of the day now. I can tell that Jack misses his big brother fiercely. Bam, sadness. Wasn't even thinking about the effect it was going to have on little brother!!

His first day was a huge success! I asked him, "What was your very favorite part about your first day in kindergarten?" And his answer was, "EVERYTHING!"

When we picked him up from his first day, I told him we would go and get a treat. He said he wanted to get a snowcone, so that's exactly what we did!

I'm so proud of my Nathan James! This is the very first little push out of the nest for him. Middle school, high school, driving, college, marriage. I know we, as parents, give our children these pushes throughout their young lives, but it doesn't make it any easier!

Here's to a great year for my sweet boy! I love you to pieces, Nathan James!