1st day of Kindergarten

This tiny baby girl that I just gave birth to... oh wait that was over 5 years ago.  This little girl is now a big girl and started kindergarten last week.  I think I might still be in a little bit of denial.  I shed quite a few tears in the week leading up to the first day.  I was very excited for her to start this new adventure but I also didn't, and still don't, like the fact that she is gone all day, 5 days a week.  She has been my sidekick for 5 years.  Now don't get me wrong, there have been days that Mike gets home and I am pulling my hair out and ready to send them all to full day school :)  But for the most part we have a lot of fun. 
She was very excited to start school at the "big school".  Big school is not an exaggeration, there are 1800 students that go to her elementary school.  That is grades PreK-4.  There are 13 kindergarten classes.  This is quite a change from what I grew up with.  My graduating class had 189 students.
The day before school started we went for back to school pedicures, ate lunch out and went out for cupcakes.  It was a fun time and the girls thought they were something special.  That night we got everything ready for the next day and read "The Night Before Kindergarten."
The next morning went very smooth.  I managed to hold the tears in until we left her.  She didn't have any tears at all and started talking to her friends as soon as we got there.
Here she is ready to go (the clips in her hair are holding her bangs back as we grow them out).

Sister had to get in for a picture.

This little man misses his big sister while she is gone.  She is one of very few people that can settle him down.

At the "big school" and ready to go in.

Hadley and Mrs. Green.

After we left Hadley at school Jillian and I counted down the hours until it was time to pick her up.  We couldn't wait to hear how her day went.  When she got in the car she could not get a word out and burst into a sob.  Which then made me cry.  She finally settled down and all I could understand was, "I am not going back."  I was so sad for her.  As soon as we got home I scooped her up and held her and talked with her.  All in all she was tired and everything she didn't like happened in the afternoon.  I think the first day was just long for her.  When I put her to bed that night she said, "Mom, I don't want to go back to school can you teach me at home."  Believe me I have considered it but don't feel it is the best decision for our family right now.  I prayed that night, that in the morning she would wake up feeling better about school.  God is good!  She woke up and said, "I am ready to go to school."
Her second day was much better and she loves it now.  I pray that she has a great year.