Aiden's 1st day In Kindergarten!

August 21, 2013...The day our baby started big kid school. 

ALLLLL summer long this day was in the back of my head, lurking, with its emotion and nerves. Just thinking about it would overwhelm me to the point of tears and leave me feeling raw and unprepared. As the day drew closer I had a bunch of crazy moments where I entertained ideas of homeschooling, holding him back, just saying NO thank you to the idea of school in its entirety. These weren't exactly rational thoughts mind you. Maybe I'm a crazy person or maybe these thoughts & feelings are normal. I don't know and I don't care. I cried many times in the week before August 21. For no reason, just driving down the street and started thinking about my baby (yes in my head he is still my baby) going to school ALL day long. 8:15-3:15 felt like an eternity. So many hours I would miss out on with him, so many things he would be doing that I wouldn't be a part of. That more of his waking hours would be spent at school than with me. No part of it felt anything other than wrong to me, unnatural. In summary, I just didn't feel ready to let him go. 

But the day came, whether I was ready for it or not, it came. I made him a special breakfast, helped him get dressed in his uniform, took some pictures and prayed all morning long that I could just hold it together long enough that he wouldn't see me lose it. I knew our tender hearted aiden would be upset if he saw me upset. Do not cry in that room, Do not cry in that room, do NOT cry in that room was my mantra all morning. 

 SUCH a big kid!!! 

 Aiden was SUPER excited about his 1st day. No fear, no sadness, just really happy to be crossing this milestone into "being a big kid"

 Ok lil miss diva...today's not about you...

 Outside his classroom 

 And sitting at his desk

 Ohhhh I love this face so much!!! 

 Yes the whole circus was there for this epic moment. Doesn't aiden look thrilled to be taking this family picture? Get used to it bud! We are THAT family! :) 

 Aiden with his teacher, Mrs. Jennings. We love her. 

And there we have it. 

I did in fact make it all the way to the parking lot before crying. I was quite proud of that. Even if I did then sit in my car and ball for a solid 10 mins. That 1st week was hard. Very emotional and then it became very tiring for aiden. He wasn't used to having such long days so he would come home in the afternoons just melting down he was so exhausted. 

We are now in rhythm with our new normal and absolutely LOVE aiden's school. I'm very pleased with his teachers, the school, how he's learning & growing. I love that it's a christian school and that he comes home with little nuggets of biblical principle that they have taught him that day. If he can't stay with me every day until he's 30... and he can't cause we don't want to be "that" family... then I'm very happy with where he's at. It's a huge blessing for him to be in christian education and to be in an environment where I know he's being loved on while he learns.