First Day of School

Well, as of this morning, my life changed pretty drastically.

ALL 3 of my precious babies are in school!!! It kind of feels like a “I’m free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!” :)
Movie reference from one of my all time favs. Think Bette and Barbara :)

It is such a parenting milestone for me. So today has already been filled with such  a variety of emotions.

Here they are—ready for their first day!!

So interesting to me how their clothing choices totally reflect their personalities. I could probably write a book about this :)

Kindergartener

3rd grader

5th grader

I woke him up and said, “Are you ready for your last first day of elementary school??” He smiled :)
He’s so ready to be the BMOC. He is so excited and anxious to sign up for the Principal’s school leadership team, science projects and all of the other awesome stuff the 5th grader’s get to do.  He’s been chomping at the bit for school to start since school got out in June!

Here’s my baby girl, at her desk, ready for her first day!
She did so great and was so excited to be there!

I was a little apprehensive this morning because last night when we were saying bedtime prayers, Gracie prayed for God to
“take her nervous away”. She has been so ready and excited to go, but she realized last night that she was feeling a little nervous.
She woke up this morning and never mentioned anything about being nervous, but she was awfully quiet as we were walking to school and to her classroom.

Her little friend Kasey’s mom, (and my friend) Katt, took the girls to get their nails painted yesterday. While they were there, Gracie met the owner’s daughter and found out they were going to be in the same class.
When we got there this morning, that little girl’s desk was right next to Gracie’s!! When she saw a sort of familiar face, she seemed to relax right away.
God is so good!

 
Rhett and I had already said our goodbyes in the hallway and he said I didn’t need to walk him to his class. Well, his Daddy was able to show up after that and he wanted to go and wish him well. As Jason and I were walking down the hall, we heard what sounded like a party! We walked into the room, and they were all wearing party hats and blowing noise makers.

I was happy to see Rhett was sitting across from one of his friends from last year’s class and he had a smile on his face. What a great start to 3rd grade! This is such an answer to prayer!

After I snapped this picture of  him and his teacher, I said my good-byes and I had to walk out… I felt tears welling up in my eyes. (here we go again…. as I type this… Kleenex, please.)

How weird is it that I was COMPLETELY fine leaving my little “just turned 5 baby kindergartener” out in the big bad world, but I couldn’t hardly hold it together to leave him there.

This sweet boy is the subject of most of my middle of the night prayers, he’s on my heart almost constantly, he is the one who struggles more in school, the one who hasn’t yet to have the “light come on” to love school, reading, etc. Anything pertaining to school has been more of a struggle for him through the years. If I could’ve bottled up all the tears we’ve cried over homework in the last few years… they would certainly fill gallon jugs.

I’ve been praying all summer that THIS would be HIS year. That he would begin to embrace it as a good experience and that he would not have to struggle as much.

Leaving was hard as I thought about all these emotions, but it was also easy because I know God is faithful and he hears our prayers. The tears were also ones of joy because to see him “partying” and leaving him with a smile on his face just felt like Jesus giving me a big ole’ hug and hearing him say, “It’s ok. I’m here. He’s going to be ok.”

I have one, and only one, year where all 3 of them will be in the same school. What a sweet blessing!

I can’t wait till the end of the day so I can hear all of their stories!!!

I am such a blessed woman.