Hailey started Kindergarten today! She has an afternoon Kindergarten class so sleeping in is still an option for her and us. After she ate her breakfast, I painted her piggies pink and then sent her to the bath to make sure she was nice and clean. She watched some morning television and then we got dressed. Then we took a few photos on the porch and headed out for her big day. I had butterflies. She did not. Yesterday she made me a special necklace to wear so I would remember her while she was gone. This morning I wrote her a little message on a paper heart and she put it in her pocket. Sometimes she is extra sweet.

It rained almost all night and was still raining when we left so she got to wear her raincoat!

I wanted to add a tag to her backpack in case it got lost or heaven forbid she did. She wanted a bunny so I found some cute clip art and colored it in the paint program like she wanted. Then she laminated it for me. You like? We only put her initials because I am against names on the outside of backpacks in school settings.

I walked her to the front of the school with Hunter where her teacher was waiting for her students to arrive. Hailey was asked to sit in a line until they were ready to leave. I noticed that her class has more boys than girls. Hailey was one of 3 that I counted. Wow! She waved goodbye to me and off they went into the school. Once all the classes went inside, the parents followed so I did too. They were sitting on the carpet listening to instructions. I snapped a few quick blurry photos and off we went.

IGNORE the lady talking about the little girls hair that is last in line. She apparently cut it and FOCUS on the cute little girl waving goodbye to us!

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DMYLEeaV-Q 500x500]

Once we got in the car Hunter told me "Let's not leave Hailey." He was a little confused and said it again. Then he said, "Be back in little while Hailey."  He loves playing with her. We came home and I messed around. It is strange not having her here but the time went by very quick. I fed Hunter some lunch and shortly after that he tells me "I need to go back to Hailey." I said, "You do?" He said, "I need to kiss Hailey. Class. I need to go back." I told him we would pick her up in a little while and then he walked off. He loves his sister can you tell?

Dismissal is at 3:30 and we live about a mile away so I left at 3:20 not wanting to seem like a crazy first time parent that can't wait to pick up her child again. I was shocked to see that the parent pickup line extended out into the main part of the street and I was in it. It took me a few minutes to calm down about being worried about my child's safety after school. By the time I got through the line, it was 3:50. That is a crazy long time to wait not knowing how they dismiss them. I did spy her teacher and fortunately for me Hailey has red hair and I spotted her in the distance. In the car, Hunter was holding Hailey's snack I promised her - cookies with the holes. Then he said, "I miss Hailey." Isn't that so sweet? I turned on the camera but he was being quiet then so I had to ask him what he said. He told me he missed Hailey bad. I love that little guy. Hailey spied me finally and just about bolted up but she was prevented until the lady with the speaker phone called out Hailey's name (it was on a sentence strip on my car window) and then she was told to go to the yellow square and wait for me to pull up. She was happy to see us and we were likewise. Hunter handed her the cookies and off we went. The first thing she told me was "I like Kindergarten!"

It was hard to get her to tell me everything they did but I know she listened to a story on the carpet, she made a raccoon puppet that was perfectly cut out, ate a snack and played a game where a ball was thrown and if it landed on an animal or something else you said stuff. Hers was a pet and she told the class about Castle Cutie and that her dad calls it a Rat but it really is a Hamster. Thus begins the telling the whole world your families business! She told me they got to choose where to put their backpacks and where they sat at the table. I am anxious to go to back to school night now so I can get a better feel. I am not sure she is going to fill me in. I did see that there was another little girl with red hair too so that makes 4 girls total I counted so far in her class. I am excited for all the new things she will learn this year. Happy First Day of Kindergarten Hailey. I Love You!!!

Oh - and it looks like her teacher has an assistant. She is one lucky teacher if she does!

Waiting in the parent pickup line...

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rZWpxb-V-g 500x500]