It's finally arrived...Meghan's first day at preschool! The "prep work" started last week, and this morning when I reminded her that today was her big day, she was pretty excited.
As I was driving her to school, my hands were shaking and my stomach was in knots. I literally thought I would be sick. Why am I so nervous about this? SHE'S the one going to school, not me! So I walk her in and see all the other parents with their kids, most are dressed to the nines...then here comes Meghan in her pink shirt, denim shorts, and her infamous green, blue, and silver "rocket shoes". Oh Lordy.
After she was settled in her class, bookbag stowed under her cubby and toys doled out, I managed a quick hug and kiss before the teachers politely ushered all of us parents out the door. "They'll be fine, don't worry! It's ok, really!" For 2 hours and 45 minutes I worried that she was unhappy, or that the kids were being mean to her, or that she missed me and I wasn't there...was I even doing the right thing?
So at 11:45 (more like 11:55) I picked her up from preschool and she seemed very happy to see me. She talked non-stop all the way home about what she did, what they read, who she met, what they ate for snack (water, long pretzels and circle cookies with spots) and anything else she could think of. It was the first time I felt "out of the loop" with my own child. Finally, she asked me what I did while she was in school. She asked it with a note of concern in her voice, like what I was doing might have been more fun than what she was doing (not a chance, honey). I reassured her that all I did was run errands and do laundry and she seemed quite content with that.
I'm sure drop-offs will get easier as the days go by. I'm slowly losing pieces of her, a little bit here, a little bit there. I guess it takes me losing the pieces for her to eventually find herself : )
