First Day of School: Preschool Edition!

After Michaela, and then Jenna, got on the bus last Wednesday and drove off to school, Alec turned to me and said, "Well, you can drop me off at school now."  And I had to crush his little heart and tell him he wasn't going anywhere until Thursday.

Last Thursday was his orientation- 20 minutes of checking out the classroom, picking out a cubbie, decorating a folder- and he loved it.  Yesterday was a half-class: half the kids for an hour but no Mommy there.  We've been talking over and over about school and the teachers and the toys and how much fun it will be, and I finally broke the news to him that I will be dropping him off and leaving, but coming back soon to pick him up.  His response was a very dismissive, "No you won't!!"  Not sure if he doesn't believe I would drop him off and leave or actually come back to pick him up.

He was super excited, bounded up the stairs, ready to go, and I had exactly 3 seconds to beg him to stay still for a picture to capture the moment. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here he is at his cubby, which is right next to his classmate Alex.  In the interest of making it easier for the teachers and kids, I suggested that he be called Alec John at school, because the Alec/Alex thing is tough to wrap your tongue around.

 

 

So I snapped the picture, and it was like releasing racehorses from the starting gate.  No wave, no goodbye, no kiss, and certainly no screaming, crying and peeling off of Mom as it had been with the girls.  And let me tell you: this kind of goodbye is way, way, WAY better. 

He headed straight for the train table.

 

When we were choosing the name for our little baby boy, I have to tell you that I thought long and hard about how it would look on this very cubby when he started preschool.  I love it.

 

Tuesday is his real first full day and I am deliciously planning what I am going to do with myself for two and a half kid-free hours.  So many options! So many delicious options!!  And I am so happy knowing that he is happy and in a great place to learn and grow.