A Great First Day

What a day! And, from all reports, it was a great one (despite the torrential downpour we had all day!). Kendyll has been talking all evening about everything she did today, and I can tell it's going to be a great year for our girl. She has made fast friends with her little class of 11 kids, and pretty much remembers every detail of the first day (as usual).

Here's a rundown (quick version) of our day. First thing is first---breakfast for the special girl. Red plate again, only different breakfast on it. Kendyll picked pancakes, sausage, and grapes. Everyone gobbled it up and Kendyll could hardly stand the wait until she could get to her uniform....which was nicely laid out the night before. I couldn't help taking a picture of how cute it was sitting there.
(By the way, Nellie---her American Girl doll pictured above---is dressed in the Providence uniform that we found in the school store last week. That was her "back to school" gift and she has been so excited about it. I'm glad, because it was a total rip off. But, worth every penny, really. :)

So, that was "Uniform before cute girl". And, this is "Uniform with cute girl":

As you can tell, she loved seeing herself all ready to go! Next was picture time. Of course, they found time to strike a pose first....

And, then on to the real poses. Yet another sister picture, with the usual "stunned" look on Abby Kate's little face.

Mark and I each had to get our picture with our big girl too...before our tears started flowing. (Actually, my tears already came at the breakfast table, as Kendyll said the sweetest prayer ever about her day, asking God to be with her as she met new friends, and to help her not be too nervous. Oh, man, it was a tearjerker. And, Mark had already cried when she came out in her uniform. Kendyll told him "Oh, Daddy! I knew you were gonna cry your eyes out!")

Off to school we went, through the pouring rain, and running late because of it. I really think God likes to laugh at me by making things a little more difficult on mornings that I really want everything perfect. But, despite the weather, we made it to Carlie's school first, and then to Kendyll's, without being the LAST to arrive. And, I somehow maintained my composure during it all, even though my stomach was turning over from all of this "newness".

Here is Kendyll entering the kindergarten hallway with her teacher's flowers. She is really the cutest kid I've ever seen. :)
We kissed, hugged, and loved on her, and that was it. We had to leave! We both looked at each other in the hallway, and said "That was too fast!" All of that build-up and then it was time to leave her! We really were excited for her to start her day...I just wanted to be able to watch!

She, of course, had a great day, and was so excited when we drove through the carpool line. She ran to the door and jumped in the car. Mark and I both asked her at the same time "How was it?" She just looked at us with this blank stare and for a brief moment, I thought she was going to say "It was terrible". Then, she broke into a smile and YELLED, "Awesome!!!!!!" It was so funny. We videoed her on the way home as she literally told us every single thing that happened.

She had decided this morning that she wanted Starbucks after school instead of McDonald's (I guess that's now just the preschool tradition!). So, we headed to get hot chocolates and desserts at one of her favorite places. Here is the final "cheers" to a great first day.