First Day of Kindergarten for #2

Today was a day that we've been preparing for all summer (longer, actually): Charlotte's first day of Kindergarten. She has been a little nervous, so we've thought of every trick that might help:

• She got a special heart locket necklace with our pictures in it to wear around her neck so that "she's got her whole family right there inside her heart."
• I drew two hearts on her hand and put my kisses there so that she's got all of my love right there if she needs it.
• Tigey is stowed away in her backpack for safe keeping.
• We did a practice run yesterday, complete with backpack and lunch all packed and ready to go (and we got there at 7:52...three minutes to spare, phew!)

Charlotte was great in the gym during announcements. I think having her big sister right there in the line close to hers really helps. 

When we walked down to her Kindergarten room, she hung up her backpack on hook #15, gave Daddy and I each a hug and then walked into her classroom.

Then she came running back out, clung to me and said, "I can't do it!" and started to cry. Daddy decided to go outside with Gabrielle (which was actually a great help). I took Charlotte into the corner and she said, "The day's just going to be too long!" I told her we'd be back there to get her before she knows it. She was still upset, so I reverted to what we used to to at preschool:

"How many high fives?"

"Eight!" So she got eight high-fives.

"How many hugs?"

"Nineteen!" So I gave her nineteen hugs.

"And how many kisses?"

"Twenty! No! One-hundred!" So I gave that sweet kindergartener one-hundred kisses all over her face. (I started counting them each individually and quickly switched to counting every ten kisses.) After showering her with her one-hundred kisses, we walked to her doorway. She said, "One more hug." I gave her one last hug and then she turned to walk into the room and I made a dash for the stairs. I heard her teacher say, "Oh, Charlotte, this way!" but I didn't look back. We did it! I dropped of my kindergartener and left her dry-eyed. Yay!!! This is what success looks like.