Brynn's 1st Day of Kindergarten

I can't believe how fast time has gone that my little girl is old enough to start kindergarten! The new clothes have been purchased, school supplies ready, and her lunch is packed. I think I am just as nervous and excited as she is! Brynn willingly got up early enough to have plenty of time to get ready for her 1st day of school. She rushed through her checklist of morning chores, and after a few minutes to snap some pictures, we were out the door. I drove her to school, and then helped her find her class line. Just as I anticipated, she became nervous and extremely clingy as the bell rang to signal all the kids to get in line. She started to cry a bit, and then her teacher took her hand and she willingly walked with the rest of her class into the building.
It was weird standing around with some of the other moms on the playground and listening to their different feelings about sending their child off to kindergarten (for most of them it is their last child starting school), and hearing about their plans for the day. A few moms were crying, and many were asking me how I was doing, since Brynn is my oldest. Funny, I think I was so distracted with the stress of getting Brynn pried off my leg that I didn't feel like crying. I am happy for her and all the experiences I know she will have. I will miss her, but I know it will be good for her, and I will be so excited for the time I get to spend with her when she comes home. I think/hope I will be able to better balance parts of my life with her in school. That probably sounds selfish, but I think I get so busy taking care of 3 kids who are at needy stages of their lives for different reasons, on top of all the other things going on that I end up not being able to give what I want to to any area. Maybe now I will be able to give a little more of myself to each area of my life, including to Brynn.
Any way, I am so proud of Brynn and how brave she is to take on things that are not always easy for her. She is such a beautiful girl, and teaches me so much on a daily basis. She is a smart kid, and so curious. I am interested to see what this school year brings for her!She was especially excited when she heard that all-day kindergarten means that you get to bring your lunch to school.


I think this shot shows the 1st day of school jitters that were also hiding behind her smiles. I couldn't resist giving her a big hug of reassurance after seeing that face.