Zoë's First Day of Kindergarten

She woke up early this morning.

Is that any surprise? I remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation on the night before school starts. The smell of a new box of crayons, the shininess of your new backpack, the startchy feel of new clothes are all memories I carry with fondness.

She ate breakfast as is her usual right now- a bagel with cream cheese.

I'm sure other mornings it will be cereal, or bread and jam. Growing up my favorite breakfast was burritos or cold pizza, but maybe I'm remembering when I was a little older.

We read scriptures and I fixed her hair all during breakfast.

I can still recall my morning routine of family scripture reading and how one Saturday morning I woke up on the couch where we read together. I'm hoping my daughters are more awake than I was.

She helped me pack her lunch.

I know I brought a lunch a number of times, but I also remember buying lunch at school. The mushy peas, the smell of bleached water that didn't smell all that clean, and the favorite food days of pizza and tator-tots.

Her dad gave her a Father's blessing.

Every year would start out by receiving a blessing from my dad before I went back to school. This tradition continued through college; my most notable being the year I was blessed I'd find my eternal companion (which did happen that year, as a matter of fact).

We took a picture of her on the front porch, documenting her first day of school.

I look back at school pictures of me- and one I laugh with fondness is the picture of me in my favorite red sweater showing the telltale sign of Wonder Woman underoos undershirt peeking through. I loved that underwear!

Then we walked together down our street to the corner where the bus, 296, was to pick her up. The air was cool enough to warrant a sweater. Yes, shocking in August, but somehow appropriate for the first day of school. The sun was shining and lit her hair like gold. She was happy, but I could see her nervousness.

She spotted the big yellow bus first, and we crossed the street together. Of course, I had to snap as many pictures as my camera would allow in the few seconds it took her to climb on the bus- asking her to turn around and smile for me.

I didn't give her a hug!

I saw her peeking through the window, waving and timidly smiling, and blowing me kisses. I caught them, and put them in my pocket. I hope they'll stay there so I can pull them out during the day. I wish I could tuck them in my sock drawer and take them out in a few years, remembering how I felt as my oldest, but still so young, went off on her own new adventure, her first without me.



"I'm going to miss my friend, Zoë" Megan told me when we came back to our house.

I'm going to miss my friend, Zoë, too.

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Zoë's Report of Her First Day!

Her favorite part was recess, which was after lunch. She told me that because she forgot her water bottle in her backpack, her teacher got her a chocolate milk! She was very happy about that. She said she played with "all my friends" and she traced her hand. She was very happy when she came home, and obviously ready for another day.

The thing she was most excited about was her "agenda". It's a calendar where the teacher leaves notes for parents about the child, or if things went well Zoë gets a sticker or a stamp in that day. She was eager to show that to me, and look through the book herself.

Megan was very happy to have her big sister home, at least the idea of her back. Unfortunately, Megan got shortchanged on the sleep and food department today. Hopefully we'll be better off tomorrow.