Kindergarten!

Yesterday was a momentous day in the life of our family: Amelia started kindergarten! To be fair, she only sort of started because it was just a half day and she doesn't go today at all. In our district, half of the new kindergarteners go to the school on the first day and half go on the second day and all go only for a few hours. Then after those two half days, where they spend a little time in each of the four kindergarten classrooms, they get their teacher assignment. And on Monday, they start kindergarten for real: 7:50am to 2:30pm real.

Luke, Amelia and I all went over to the school yesterday morning and spent a little time in a classroom with Amelia. She was definitely anxious and a little clingy, asking us to hold her on the way to her classroom, wanting Luke to work on her dolphin picture with her, and begging me to sit on the rug with the kids. After a reading of The Kissing Hand (during which I had to tune out and look around the room to avoid tearing up) and giving/getting kissing hands to/from Amelia, Luke and I left for an orientation and Amelia was on her own. I knew she would do great once we left. And sure enough, when Isaac and I arrived at noon to get her, she was all smiles and announced she had "made a new friend." She said they had had recess, ate in the cafeteria, visited all four classrooms and told the teachers which letters were which (a little kindergarten pre-reading assessment snuck in there, I assume).

Now we wait to see which class she'll be in for the year... I am keeping my fingers crossed for the class with the teacher assistant who was my little (28-year-old) brother's favorite day care teacher way back in the day. She is so warm but also fun and zany. Fortunately, all the teachers seem great, and I know they would all love our sweet sunshine girl. :)

Update: Amelia didn't get the teacher I had requested, but life goes on. Amelia seems happy and excited.