Now We Will Have School for the Rest of Our Lives

Daphne is officially a student now.  Tuesday night was open house and today was the first day.

At the open house the kids found their name tags and sat at the teacher's feet so she could tell them that on Thursday they will get to paint with watercolors (and Daphne shouts, "I HAVE THOSE PAINTS!  I PAINT WITH THOSE!") and draw the number one ("I CAN DRAW A 'D'!") and maybe play outside (she was distracted at that point, turned around and talking to the boy behind her).  They can bring a stuffed animal ("I HAVE A DOG ANIMAL I CAN BRING!") with them to keep them company, if they like. 

So in the car I told her that when her teacher is talking, she'll have to remember to sit quietly and listen to her instructions.  It's rude to interrupt, she'll have to practice being quiet and patient.

She says, "Well, can I just talk to my friends instead?"

"No, Daphne, you have to be quiet when the teacher is talking.  It's important to listen to her."

"I think I will just talk to myself."

"Nope, you have to be quiet."

"No,"  she says, "I will just talk to myself."

For the love, Daphne.  Silence is golden.  

Pray for her teacher, I think.  And for the little girl talking to herself at school because her mom told her not to talk to her teacher or to her friends.

front and center might not be the best spot for her

we discovered her classroom was David's AWANA classroom many years ago

Wednesday was a long day of anticipation, waiting for the morning to come, wanting to pack her backpack full, reminding me over and over that we can't be late for school.

She asked, "I get to be at school by myself, right?"

"Yes, we will take you and help you hang your backpack on your hook, but then you can stay all by yourself,"  I told her.

"I can hang my backpack all by myself.  I don't need help.  Can I walk into the school by myself?"

"Your teacher said she didn't want little children walking in the parking lot alone, so we will walk you from the car to your classroom.  Then you can hang your backpack by yourself."

That seemed to pacify her.  I guess the "your teacher said" line is going to work well for us.

School starts at 9 A.M. and it took us exactly three minutes to get there.  Best drive ever, and it's fabulous to not have to rush out the door before we're all properly awake.  

Once we were back at home, David took Christian for a walk and I turned on Norah Jones and cleaned the house.  It was so peaceful and I realized why moms get so excited when school starts back up in the fall.

After pick up we heard that she was upset because they didn't play on the playground for very long and she wanted to eat more food at snack time.  She painted, made puppets, read stories, and she wants to go to school everyday forever and ever.

The letter from her teacher this week says, "My number one goal is to teach your child about our great creator God, who made them and loves them and will walk with them through their whole life."

How blessed we are to have our children surrounded by people teaching them these truths.  It's going to be a good year.

I thought she looked tired after school,  A giant lunch restored her energy.