Ella's First Day of Kindergarten!

Ella was SO EXCITED about her first day of kindergarten. I thought she might be nervous like her Mommy was when she started kindergarten, but Ella was just plain excited! Her teacher, Mrs. Susan, sent the parents an email, and I read it to Ella a few days before school started. I knew it would help her feel calm and excited for her first day! Part of the email said, "To ensure a good morning, please make sure your little Star has a good dinner, a relaxing bath, a sweet story and an early bedtime. You need to plan for your Kindergarten child to be in bed no later than 8:00 every night. That way you can be certain that your child will get enough sleep and be able to easily wake up in the morning with time for a nice breakfast, teeth brushing, toileting, and a cheerful ride to school." The email went on to tell exactly what to expect once we arrived at the classroom (i.e. where to put her back pack, folder, where to sit, etc.) Well, Ella was thrilled at the thought of a relaxing bath without her siblings! She enjoyed a long, warm bath filled with bath salts, bath confetti, etc. Daddy even used our shampoo and conditioner on her hair. Ella chose to have Daddy read her favorite Dr. Seuss book before bed, Sleep Book. I asked Ella what she wanted for breakfast, and she chose a yogurt, banana, cereal bar and milk. Ella couldn't wait to put on her new back pack and leave for school!

Above is a picture of Miss Ashley showing Ella her cubby. This is where she puts her folder and gets her crayon and pencil box.

This is Ella meeting her teacher, Mrs. Susan, for the first time.

My sweet girl quickly found her name at the table, and she sat down to color her picture. She was completely calm and happy to be there. I was the one welling up with tears! I am so excited for her, but I can't believe that my baby is old enough to start school! Where has the time gone?

This is a picture of Ella with her two "treasures" that she got at school today. She said that today is "the best day of her life!" She was so excited to show me the bear picture she colored hanging on the wall with a sticker on it. She said that her favorite part of the day was playing with a new friend at the playground. I am so thankful that she had such a great time and that she is excited to go back on Monday. As for me, I am still getting used to the idea :) We have been celebrating this exciting day all day! We all went to McDonald's for happy meals after school, and Ella had a ring pop for dessert. We had a special snack after quiet time, and we are going to have a pizza party tonight and make cookies with pink icing-Ella's favorite! This is a wonderful day, and I want her to remember it forever! We love you, Ella, and we are so proud of you!!!

P.S. Ella keeps saying, "I'm a big kid now!" Yes, she is! Now I understand why my Dad used to say that he wanted me to stay 5 forever! :)