First day of Kindergarten!

It's hard to believe that our Eden Brooks started Kindergarten on Friday, but it's true. The week before, we stopped by her classroom for a brief orientation - meet the teacher, drop off supplies, and see all the cool stuff like an iPad that has a Morris Lessmore's Books app,

lots of turtles,

and the butterfly garden.

When we got there EB's teacher, Mrs. Clare (as she told us "like care with an l for love") had a welcome gift for the kiddos...

... and CC brought EB back from Mississippi so they could join the fun in visiting the school for the first time!

After EB's entrance assesment, Ms. Clare said with a smile, "She's going to make me look good this year." We couldn't have been more proud, especially when Ms. Clare said EB was brave -- that she read a few sentences for Ms. Clare and tried words even when she didn't already know them. Ms. Clare also said our little reader was starting out K at a first grade level.

Fast-forward a week ... a special day calls for a special breakfast - beignets!!!

Lydia is telling us "Dirty hands!" I guess she was proud of them.

I always get an order of beignets (three big ones) and a large order of fingers. I am usually the only one who eats the big ones, though this morning Lydia decided she wanted "a big one Daddy!"

After breakfast everyone got dressed and grabbed bags so we could take pictures. Although Lydia does not start until Monday, she had to have her big-girl owl backpack [she is so proud that it now belongs to her instead of her sister -- she keeps asking for "my owl backpack"], and she had to have a picture for every one that EB took.

We got to school a bit before 8:00 and saw EBs classmate and friend, Ava. Yes, they are the same age, just on opposite ends of the growth chart! When they are playing together you really don't notice their height difference.

When they get to school the first thing they do is take out anything for Mrs. Clare then hang their bag. EB and Ava share a hook.

While we watched for a few minutes, Lydia decided she was going to join in on the Kindergarten fun ... she built a cool octagon train and put a diamond or triangle piece on each one.

When she got in the car at carpool, the first thing she did was give her mom a huge smile and kiss. Then, she said she wanted to stay at school forever. Not a bad first impression. A few minutes later, she was completely upset, telling Ashley that someone threw mud on her at school. Apparently some girls were playing in mud at the playground, EB told them they needed to stop doing that, and one girl said "Fine!" and threw a stick.

After school, EB got to pick the snack ... snowcones - purple/grape. Thumbs for a great first day!

We then went to Chick-Fil-A. and to wrap up the fun filled day and to help celebrate our kindergartner, we had a Back-to-School Party at home. Ashley made a doughnut hole cake and hung balloons. And we had ice cream and lots of kids [our neighbors Chloe, Piper, and Nicholas, and friends Thomas and Brian] running around the house screaming various things. Craziness, but a good time.

We are so proud of our brave, little kindergartner!