Stella's First Day of School

Well, we survived the first week of school.  Barely. 

Stella started school this past Tuesday, a day late due to Hurricane Irene.  It was a tough first day for her.  She woke up in tears saying she didn't want to go and cried all morning.  While her brothers ate the chocolate chip pancakes she wanted me to make her for her first day, Stella stayed in bed crying about how awful her day was going to be.  Somehow, Kelsey and I talked her into getting her clothes on and I got her and the boys in the van just in time to make it to school.  I walked Stella down to her classroom, and as soon as we got there, she started crying all over again.  The poor girl was so scared.  I think she was really nervous about being at school for a whole day, which was something she had never done before.  She just didn't know what to expect.  Eventually, her teacher had to peel Stella's death-grip off of me and bring her into the classroom.  I could hear her crying all the way down the hall on our way out.... Not what a mommy wants to hear.

I recieved a call from her teacher at lunchtime telling me that she stopped crying a few minutes after I left and she was having a great day.  That was exactly what I figured would happen.  I've been on the other side of this situation before as a preschool teacher.  It's a lot harder being on the Mommy-side!

The boys and I had a quiet day at home.  Amazing how calm they can be without their big sister around!  Colby definitely missed Stella.  He kept asking me when she was coming home and if I thought she was still sad.  He was really worried about her. 

Finally, the time came when we could go to the bus stop to wait for Stella to come home!

The boys were waiting very anxiously......

And then she came!

And, she even posed for a few pictures to please her mommy (since there was NO way I was getting a "First Day of School Picture" that morning!)

She was even in a good enough mood to be silly.

That night, after Stella had been in bed for awhile, she came out to tell Kelsey and me that she had just written on a note on her glow-in-the-dark writing board.  It said, "I had a great day today." 

The rest of her week went well.  She is exhausted, but is enjoying 1st grade so far.  She loves eating lunch at school and has met a few new friends. 

Yay, Stella!