Kindergarten Blues

For mom that is. Abby did great going to school on her first day of kindergarten. I actually did really well, too. It was not until I left the doorway of the classroom, shut off my camera – that it hit me that my baby was gone….in school for the day.

We awoke to rain and cool temperatures, which means we had to switch gears. Of course I had selected shorts and a top to match her backpack….for that color coordinated first day of school shot. Because it was so dismal outside the indoor photos needed a flash and I was not happy with the shadows I was getting. So I asked her to step outside for a picture. “In the rain!?” Well, it was misty at the time, and yes – I needed to get that first day of school photo.




Kyle was so sweet giving all kinds of brotherly advice this morning. Reminding her to walk in the halls and that it was a quiet zone and was concerned she would not be able to reach the hook to hang up her coat in the locker. He lovingly zipped her jacket up all the way and put her hood up for her since the mist had become a drizzle, and off they set down the road to the bus stop. For the past several years I have been taking photos of Kyle and Abby walking to the bus stop – in fact, the September release of Scrapbooking and Beyond should have my first photo of this event. It was my “Glimpse” into the future…to this day. I haven’t seen the magazine yet, but I assume it is in there! Please let me know if you see it and what page number.



The bus was running late, but Kyle used the time in line to offer more advice with his sister. After they boarded the bus I ran (I am so out of shape! And the hill doesn’t help!) home to get in the car and race to school ahead of the bus. The bus has to go up the hill past our house to pick someone up, and it was coming back as I backed out the driveway. I easily arrived at school and watched other kindergartners coming off their buses. They looked small, but by comparison they made Abby look tiny. When Kyle began kindergarten they all got off the buses at the same time and parents took group photos. Kyle was easily a head taller than everyone else. I did not have that photo opp today, which was disappointing. Several buses, including Abby’s was running late. The first bell had already rang when her bus showed up. I was told the buses would move forward so kindergartners were let off at their door, but that wasn’t the case so sadly I missed the photo of her getting off the bus at school.

They were letting other parents follow their kids in. Abby was doing so well I wondered if I should, as I remembered her breakdown at “experience kindergarten day” this past spring. But I was all about more photos and managed to snap one at her locker. Her brother was right – the backpack was on the lower hook, but she could not reach the top hook for her jacket. Fortunately she is not sharing a locker so she could utilize the lower hook on another. I told her to have a fun day in school, offered my hand so she could give me five, and I got a big hug around my leg instead with a beaming smile. Ah yes, she was fine. I took one more photo as she went, all smiles, into the classroom. I shut off my camera and headed down the hall, realizing my baby was officially in school, and determinedly shot off the tearing eyes.

I trust the Lord will make the first day of kindergarten an easy transition for my girl. This is going to be a year of many changes for our family, and today was one more step in the journey.