Preschool!

Today was the big day - Emily's very first first day of school!

We've been talking about preschool for awhile, and Emily has been excited.  She often plays "school" with her stuffed animals, and tries to get Adara to play with her (which usually means putting Adara in another room and closing the door... not a big hit).  Just last Thursday though she asked me, "Can I wait and go to preschool when I'm 5, or 6?  I'm a little nervous."  Sweet girl.

On Friday we were able to go into the classroom and meet her teacher, which was so helpful.  Her preschool is in the local elementary school, which is such a friendly, welcoming place.  The secretary at the front desk (who lives around the corner from us), addressed Emily right away when we walked in on Friday, asking her how old she was and giving her directions to the preschool room.   We ended up waiting for her teacher for almost half an hour (she'd been caught in another meeting), but during that time Emily had a few minutes to look around the room on her own time, find the coat hook with her name on it, and meet some of the other adults who assist in the classroom.  (Half of the class is there for early intervention of some kind, so there are extra teachers who work with them.)  The speech pathologist, Miss Susan, came in and spent probably 10-15 minutes sitting on the ground playing with Emily and telling her about the class.  The teacher, Miss McCarthy, came in and she sat at a little table with Emily, and talked with her while Emily played with the "gak" she'd set out (sort of gluey non-messy slime you can make prints in) and promised Emily that she'd be sure to have gak again on Monday since she liked it so much.  Emily's one question was if they would get to go on the playground during class, so she was thrilled to find out that's part of every day.  They'll also get to go to the computer lab and library weekly.  Emily & I were both pretty excited about preschool after that, and all weekend Emily asked to go back to her class.

This morning Emily asked me again when I would come back for her, and what "the end of the day" meant.  After that I heard her walking around explaining to her stuffed animals over and over that at the end of the day, the grownups would come pick them up.  A little window into her processing.  Today after lunch, we snapped a few pictures and headed out on the 15 minute walk over to the school.  It was a picture perfect fall day.

Here she is ready to go right in, not interested in stopping for a picture outside the school, but then she changed her mind and humored me.

I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but despite the chaos of all the parents dropping their kids off at the same time, she never clung to me.  I could tell she was a little nervous walking in, but trying to be brave. We hung up her backpack together and I walked her over to the play area.  Adara headed straight for the toys, "I play toys mama?"  I told Emily that I could leave or I could stay for a few minutes, and she asked me to stay.  I watched from the side of the room for a few minutes, and then as I walked towards her, she turned to me and said bravely, "I'm ready for you to go now Mommy."  I didn't expect to tear up at those words!  I gave her a quick kiss and got Adara and I out of there before she could see that.:)

The whole walk home, Adara asked me where Emily was, told me she wanted to give her sticker to Emily, and pointed out Emily's seat.  When she woke up from her nap, she lit up when I told her it was time to go pick Emily up at school.  I asked her if she missed her sister and she said, "Yes, I miss Emily at school."  Precious.

Emily was happy to see us but told us she'd had a lot of fun.  Of course we got the negatives first.  "We didn't go to the computers today, neither the libary [sic].  I asked Miss McCarthy and she said not for a few weeks."  The teacher told me she'd done great, and the only time she was scared was at the end of the day on the playground when the kids were playing tag.  Emily isn't big on telling me about her day, but we've coaxed out bits and pieces throughout the day, like learning the rules at "meeting time" (circle time) and putting a number up on the calendar, playing in the play kitchen with another girl, and eating colored goldfish and orange juice for snack.  All in all, she is happy about going back tomorrow, which I think is the main measure of success.

I did have to play this Darius Rucker song tonight.  It came out the spring Emily was born, and it used to make me cry when Emily was a newborn.  I can't believe we are at the "preschool" part!!