the beginning

Monday was the first day of school. My big little girl started kindergarten. Sigh.

Because school here starts at 0800 and we walk/bike to school Ella has to wake up at 0630. (And I have to wake up earlier still.) She was very excited and very prepared. She had set out an outfit the night before and had me braid her hair so it would be curly.

Tada:

Here are my children eating breakfast at 0645.

Here they are getting some play time in at 0705.

At 0715 we are out the door, back pack on, and ready to go!

Ella rode her bike. Eli rode his bike.

Rhys rode in the stroller. I pushed him while roller blading.

On our way to school.

This is the "secret passage" (a wall blocks the view of the continuing sidewalk.)

Ella's bike, safe and secure.

Ella was still excited and refused to come home with me. Fine, go to school then.

The school allows parents to eat lunch with their children any day. Ella invited me to eat with her on day one. I was thirty seconds late because I had to sign in as a guest in the office. She was already sitting down with her class.

I almost left to let her eat lunch and make friends, but she jumped up and moved to sit by me at the guest table...all the way at the other end of the cafeteria.

She was giddy with excitement and told me everything they had done thus far. Then she noticed the note I had put in with her lunch. She just about bust a gut when she saw the smiley face I drew...

Ella left with her class after lunch. I just had to document that she is tall.

Eli really missed his best friend while she was at school. Luckily Chris had the day off and took him to the beach. They swam with jellyfish. Eli loved it.

The problem with school is that it is a recurring event. I'm fine sending my girl off to school for 7 1/2 hours every once in a while, but they want her five days a week! That is a lot of waking up at 0600. I'm more of an 0700 kind of morning person.