First day of Kindergarten

Lila and her buddy "Blue"

My girl started kindergarten last week. I did not think I would be that mom, my mom always called me "hard-hearted Hannah" because it was so hard to get me teary. Of course, that was when I was ten. Kindergarten really threw me for a loop. My brave little girl has never stayed with anyone but family or close friends and rarely for more than a few hours. But, she was ready! I distinctly remember thinking shortly after she was born, "Some day she'll start school. That feels like an eternity away. Five years." And now, the day has come and gone. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Daddy made a special pancake breakfast on request. Including whipped cream hair (partially eaten in photo), a chocolatey face, and scrambled egg beard. She woke up happy and energetic, willingly ate her breakfast, and eagerly got dressed in the outfit she picked out the night before.

She was so eager, in fact, that we had time to kill before we had to leave for school. So the girls snuggled on the couch with their matching "snake tongue" hair-dos and watched Bob Ross paint some happy little trees. We don't have any reception for TV, so the girls have interesting viewing habits. Some of their favorite DVDs are "Primetime Bucks" "Whitetail Madness XI", "Strawberry Shortcake", and "Bob Ross". Typing this makes me laugh. The funnier part is, the only time they really watch these DVDs is when Cam is exercising. Most people exercise to an actual workout DVD, but not my husband. He burns some calories to Strawberry Shortcake and Bob Ross.

 

Anyway, back to the kindergarten girl. She wrote her own name on the board. I'm interested to see how her "signature" of sorts changes this year. They have already started writing in "the kindergarten way". She was so proud to go to school. 

Sisterly love. A rare moment caught on film.

We have been wondering how all this would go in regards to Lila and Maggie being apart and Maggie being at home alone. Let me tell you, Maggie does not mind one bit. She is in hog heaven getting never-before-seen-one-on-one-time with grandparents and parents! She thinks it's the greatest thing ever. When Lila gets in the car after school, they are so sweet to each other for like two minutes. It's a joy to behold. Maggie is starting dance class with Miss Sally this fall. As luck would have it, Miss Sally (or Miss Hally to Maggie) had a drop-in class on Lila's first day of school, so Maggie got to go to dance class while Lila went to school. Worked out beautifully.

Lila had her heart set on an Ariel backpack, so we found one on Amazon and ordered it. It claimed that it came with an attached "lunch box". The zipper compartment that is attached is no more a lunch box than a paper sack is. It is made from the same fabric as the backpack, has no insulation, and is rather small. So, I set out to work making her one.

I followed the pattern in One Yard Wonders except that I added a strap for her to carry it with. You can't tell, but the pink side is "quilted" with a little wave pattern. Awww... She loved it and told me it was perfect. After my heart melted, I gave her a big hug. This big kindergartener of mine. When we picked her up, we were so nervous about how her day had gone. We were relieved to see a big smile on her face. When asked what her favorite part was, she simply replied, "The whole day".