Before schoolClara had her first day of school today, well, Mother's Day Out. She will be attending one day a week.
After years of being on the "other side" as a teacher, I was now officially a parent. I was now the one who dropped off her child and had to leave. As a teacher, I always tried to be understanding of the nervous parent who wanted to stand in the doorway watching but never fully understood the difficult part of leaving.
Thank goodness my friend Rebecca was there (her son goes to the same school and is actually in Clara's class) she helped me get out the door and wouldn't let me turn around or peek back in the classroom just for one last glimpse. This morning, I was walking out the door of her school, the director said something to me (I honestly don't remember what she said) and I couldn't even speak because I was fighting back the tears.
It was a lonely day for me. I twiddled my thumbs while glancing at the clock all day. I have to admit, our TIVO tuned to Barney while I was watching the news during lunch and I started to cry. What a weepy little wuss I am! I can't believe I am even sharing that!
Well, when I went to pick Clara up, she was crying in the middle of the room holding her monkey. One of her teachers talked to me for a long time. Apparently, my sweet, little, happy girl, cried off and on all day. She did play a little but mostly observed. She did eat lunch, though, and napped. Driving home, I asked Clara if she liked school and if she had fun, enthusiastically she replied "YES!" Halfway home, I discovered we forgot her blankie so we had to turn around. We went back, Clara was smiling while walking to her classroom. She said "Hi" to her teacher. She even waved and blew a kiss.
This will be a hard road but I am convinced that she will eventually love it.
If you are wondering about an after picture. It was a little difficult to get a good one. She played with her blanket on her head the rest of the afternoon.
