Part 2 of Ava's First Day at Kindergarten

I have to say, I was waiting for Ava's bus at least 25 minutes before the bus' anticipated arrival time, I was making sure NOT  to miss it.  Daddy had come home early too, so he could see her get off the bus and hear all the fun stories that were to come.  We made warm cookies so when we got into the house, we could sit down to cookies and milk and hear all about her day.
When the bus pulled up, Christian was jumping up and down.  He was so excited. I have to say this side note too, after her bus had left with her that first morning, he stood at the front door for awhile and literally asked me 5 times in the first hour, "is that Ava, is she home yet?"  It was heart breaking how much he missed her. I knew he would but I had no idea it would be so sad for him.  He has had some emotional moments with the whole Ava going to school and him staying home. Not been an easy transition for either of them.

Here she is getting off the bus and this is when she first met her friend up the street. . .and her bus riding partner. . . Meaghan Gibbons. :) 

So, she gets off that BIG BUS I mentioned in the previous blog entry, and she runs to us and jumps in our arms.  Of course we are fighting over who gets to hold her first and love her and tell her how much she means to us.  Finally, we set her down and head toward the house.  Her daddy, trying desperatly to hold onto any part of her depending on him still, offered to carry her to the house.  She politely said, "No, I am fine. I can walk." So a few steps later he asks if she wants him to carry her book bag to the house for her, to give her a break. :)  She again,  in a very sweet manner, replies, "No, it's okay.  I got it.  I can carry it."  So then mommy, wanting to hear EVERY SINGLE detail of her day starts drilling her and all the while dying inside to ask her many more questions.  I felt as though I was restraining myself well, I am not sure Ava felt that way.

When we got in, she took her shoes to her room, put her book bag on the chair in the kitchen and came out to sit down at the table for warm cookies and milk.  She sat calmly while the three of us started to ask more questions.  I guess this is where I will admit, I snatched up a small tape recorder with a new tape and new batteries, and yes, I RECORDED her talking about her first day of school. I know, I am a tad over obsessed with this whole not missing a thing in her life, but I knew I would love to hear her excitement from her first day and even her Grandma listened to it that very next day.  So, yes, I sat the recorder in front of her and the day started to unfold the best a 5 year old could manage.  She was telling us about her friends, about the ginger bread man that left clues for them to follow, and about lunch and recess of course.  She loved her teacher and didn't mind the bus either.  I had prayed that angels would surround her that day before she left, and she was so excited to tell me that God sent her an angel, and her name was ANGEL.  :)  She said, "well, I guess she came from Heaven because that is what you prayed today."  I hope Angel holds up her admired name.

Christian was almost as attentive to his sister's stories as he was to the cookies he was STUFFING into his mouth.  He really was so excited to have her back too.  At one point we asked Ava what she thought and she said,  "Well, at first, I didn't know what it was going to be like, but. . . I went and I liked it."  Plain and simple.

She did manage to get picked to be the leader, so maybe her teacher saw the easily recognizable "born to be a leader" part of her personality.  She said that she did do one bad thing that would make me very sad. I leaned closer and asked her what, then she said, "mommy, I picked my nose one time."  I scolded her slightly and then I asked her if anyone saw her.  She smiled sheepishly as she said, "yeah, there was a boy looking.  But I don't know his name."  This was her most embarrassing part of that first day of school.  I reminded her that there were tissues in her back pack and she needed to use them. :) 

I have listened to those first few minutes after she came home from her first day of school numerous times.  She has yet to go into that much detail about her school days that followed, but all the excitement was there that first day within those first few hours.  She did get tired of telling all the concerned family members on the phone about her first day.  She said at night, "I know they all want to know how I did today but I am too tired to tell anyone anymore about it.  Can they just let me sleep?"  so we then went to bed.  I will say, we did cuddle up on the couch for a few minutes too, so mommy could steal some time with my grown up little girl.  We read three books every night that week.  I can't give it all up.  I may not get to see her all day long, but I will cherish all my time with her in the evenings. :)  So far so good.