Kindergarten!

So my countdown is done and kindergarten is here.  I finally feel like I can breathe because the anticipation is over.  He made it in, he made it out.  No catastrophes.  Good deal.

It was a restless night.  Joe was tossing and turning and I kept having dreams that we were going to be late.  (We were not.)  I had decided that we needed donuts to start off kindergarten.  Don't we all need donuts when we're starting an adventure?

(Not editing any pics tonight because I'm not motivated -- these are straight out of camera.)  Should have made a collage but that motivation factor comes in again.

We had to snap a few pics before school.

I was doing pretty good after all this.  Mike, James, and I walked him into his room, talked to his teacher briefly and got him settled in.  The teacher took his hand to lead him to his table and we left.  This is where the tears came in.  Me, not Joe.  (I'm sure you're not surprised.)  I had 3 crying episodes before 10am, each one worse than the first.  I got to work and got busy which is what I needed.  I made it through the rest of the day tear free.  I was even able to sneak out of work to pick him up from school.  I thought a good first day of school deserved a little ice cream. 

 

I love him so much!!

ONE!!

Yep, one day until kindergarten.  Well, it's one night now.  We tried on clothes for tomorrow.  I held it together (sort of).  We talked about how he needs to listen to his teacher and do his schoolwork.  I held it together (sort of).  We talked about how excited he is to meet new friends.  I held it together (sort of).  We talked about riding the KinderCare bus back to me at the end of the day.  I held it together (hanging by a string here).  I gave him a kiss goodnight and tucked him in.  This is where I lost it. 

I know that I'm not the first mom to go through this and I know that I'm won't be the last.  This has been a rough year for us and I'm so happy that we have pulled through everything together.  My "baby" has grown so much and I'm so incredibly proud of him.  Overflowing with love right now.  :)

Resting up for the big day. . .

2

2 days.
2 days and I just realized that we don't have a first day of school outfit.  I've bought jeans and a bunch of long sleeved shirts but nothing really for that first day.  What!?  I've been so prepared with all the school supplies and everything that I forgot that all important first day.  I guess I'll be doing a little shopping tomorrow.  :)

For this cute little (yet big enough to be a kindergartener) guy:

4,3

I was so buys making sure all my camera stuff was ready / charged for today's wedding that I didn't get time to do my #4 post.  I know you were all anxiously awaiting.  Reading my post was going to be the highlight of your Friday night.  Sorry to disappoint folks.  :)

I'm combining 4 and 3 because I feel like it.  Because I didn't have time last night / forgot.  Because I'm leaving for Wisconsin shortly and will not have time to do it later.  Because I said so.

This is it though.  The final weekend as a preschooler.  And he's with his dad.  It's Ok.  He'll come home on Monday and I make him snuggle with me all afternoon and evening so I can prepare myself.  I fully understand that I'm the one that needs to be prepared because he already is. 

Even though I'm not directly with him every day, I get to see him for little snippets of time throughout the day.  I always sympathize with the parents of infants that drop off at the center on their first day and cry because they are leaving their baby.  Tuesday will be that day for me.  He's been at the center since he was 6 weeks old and I've had 5 1/2 years to really get attached to seeing the little munchkin daily. 

Since I'm doing the two in one thing here I'm pretty sure that I should share 2 pics.  This one I took this summer at my mom's and I love it because it's pure Joe.  (Didn't have time to do any editing on these pics.)

 

Here's a pic of us from the state fair.  More to come on the fair later. . .

5

OMG -- We are down to 5!!  Ahhhhhh!!!!

Deep breaths, Carla, deep breaths.

He's so excited to start school and I'm excited for him.  I think.  I might be hyperventilating because my baby is leaving me, but it's ok.  It is.  I think.

Really, I am excited for him to start this journey but I can't help thinking that time has gone by so fast.  I decided to flash back today to a couple of my favorite baby photos of my baby.   (and Jackson too)  :)

That's right -- 8!

So tonight we had Joe's back to school conference.  Like an open house / meet your teacher, only we had a scheduled time.  We got to bring all of his stuff in and get it situated for when he starts school next week.  We signed all of the emergency information, got his pin number for lunch (which he's keeping under lock and key because they told him he wasn't supposed to share it with anyone), and went to the book fair.  Do you want to know the most impressive thing that happened during all of this?  You'll never guess.  I didn't cry.  That's right.  I held it together.  For today anyway.  :)

He's so excited, he's jumping for joy!

9

Yes.  I've started a countdown.  It will be just be a love fest dedicated to Joe before he leaves me forever.  :)  In all seriousness though, let me show you what had me crying in Target a couple of weeks ago.

Pencils.  It was the beginning of the school shopping and it all hit me.  As I put the pencils in the cart I got a little choke up.  Maybe more than a little.  Just nine more days.  I'm kind of hoping I'll hold up like I did at graduation.  I cried so much about graduating before I actually graduated that when it came time for commencement I was good to go.  I'm hoping this goes the same way so I don't make a fool out of myself come Sept. 6th.  Not that I didn't already make a fool out of myself in Target.  :)

Who wouldn't miss seeing this face?

Wild, Wild West

The boys have week long "camps" at school.  This week was Wild, Wild West.  We made "Wanted" posters for the preschoolers and school age kids.  They turned out really cute.  We were all supposed to dress up Friday too.  Some of us did.  We don't have a lot of western wear at our house so we stopped at the store and got bandanas.  Jeans, white shirts, and bandanas -- easy enough.  I had a hat to wear and James wanted one too.  After refusing to buy the overpriced pink foam cowgirl hat at Michaels for James, he was not happy with me.  Yep, I said pink foam.  I told him he could try on the one at school.  The one for the pictures.  He took it from my office first thing and didn't take it off all day.  He wore it to the assisted living center during their field trip, he wore it outside to play, if we let him he probably would have worn it for nap (see picture below).  His teacher was able to wrestle it away long enough to let the other kids take pictures.  Who didn't want to take one with the hat?  Why James, of course.  He is so difficult.  I wanted to get a pic of us all together but it just didn't happen.  This is what I got. (And by I, I mean the teachers at school because my children don't really want to cooperate and I think they're getting sick of me shoving a camera in their face.)

The "napping" . . .

The "Wanted" Poster.  Because posing for one just would have been too hard.  Pretty sure that he might be wanted for wearing the hat like that.  (The band goes inside the hat James.)

Joe.  Pretty sure he might be wanted for picking on his brother.

 

And me.  I think I might be wanted for showing up to the fair like this.  To be fair to me, my hair had been in pigtail braids and under a hat all day.  Not really sure I could've went without it.  I do love hats.