1st Born, 1st Day, 1st Grade

Well, I am now the mother of a 1st-grader! Yep, Evan started 1st grade today. The morning started off at 6:30 for me. I'm so not a morning person. Got up and got my shower and got dressed. As I was getting dressed, I just started thinking about Evan when he was a baby and learning to walk...then when he was a toddler and the things we used to do, etc. Yeah, I had a quick crying session, and then I was good.

I had the boys' clothes laid out on the couch for them the night before, so all Van had to do was get them dressed. Evan woke up pretty easily and was ready to go. He wanted me to spike his hair up with gel for his first day....hehehe, so cute!

My parents came over very shortly to wish Evan well and to pray with him before we left. Van took some pictures of Evan in our backyard before we got in the car, and then we were on our way! As we drove to school, Evan held my hand and I prayed outloud for him. Yeah, totally lost it and cried all the way through the prayer. What is wrong with me?! This is 1st grade, not Kindergarten....this is supposed to get easier each year, right? ??? Wrong.

When we arrived at school, our friends from church had pulled up at the same time we did. Their daughter and Evan are good buds, so we got to walk into school with them. We took Evan's bag of school supplies to his desk, took his pic at his desk, and then headed to the gym. The 1st graders meet in the gym in the mornings to get in line with their classmates, and then they all head to their classrooms to eat breakfast. I dropped him off at the door of his classroom after another hug and kiss, and at this time, I was feeling a pretty big lump in my throat. He walked in the classroom, and just like that....I had to walk away. Aaron was holding my hand and looked back at Evan's classroom as we were leaving and said a pathetic, sad little, "Byeee bubbaaaa"....and I about lost it right there in the hallway!

The morning went by pretty quickly. I called my sister, Trisha, when I got home because her baby started Kindergarten today. We talked about it all and choked up a few times....but it's such a comfort having a sister to talk to about this whole thing who truly understands the feelings that go along with learning to let your babies go a little. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch, so Van and Aaron and I loaded up and headed back up to the school to have lunch with Evan. He was able to tell us about his day while eating. He had been to computer lab (his favorite) and P.E. and was having a pretty good day. Aaron didn't want to leave after lunch...he wanted to go play on the playground with all the other kids. Try explaining that to a 3-year-old...not fun.

So I got to pick Evan up this afternoon when school was out, and then I took him to a local snocone place and got him a Spiderman snocone on our way home. Great ending to a great school day. :)

I'm so proud of my boys. Aaron will be starting school before I know it, but for now...I will treasure every moment I have at home with him. I am so blessed that I've gotten to be at home with my babies and haven't had to go off to work every day while leaving them with someone. I truly am thankful for getting to be a work-at-home mama! I was watching Evan in the hall at school today as I was waiting on him in the lunch line. He stood there, quietly and respectfully with his little hands behind his back, patiently waiting on instructions from his teacher. Makes me so proud. :)

Here are a few pics of my big boy on his 1st day of school! *sniff, sniff