Kindergarten

‘Twas the night before kindergarten and as they prepared,
kids were excited and a little bit scared.
They tossed and they turned about in their beds,
while visions of school supplies danced in their heads.
Erasers and crayons and pencils galore
were stuffed in their backpacks and set by the door.
Outfits were hung in closets with care,
knowing ...that kindergarten soon would be there.
In the morning it came – school starts today!
Would the teacher be nice? Would they still get to play?
Faces were washed, and teeth were brushed white;
Kids posed for pictures with eyes sparkling bright.
Parents packed snacks and kids hopped in cars
As if they were boarding a spaceship to Mars.
Some kids brought blankets or their favorite stuffed bear;
in hopes they could nap like they did in day care.
Their parents exclaimed: “You’re big kids – WOW!
Let us hold your bears and blankies for now.”
The parents were worried their children would cry
if they left them at school with just a good-bye.
So they told their darlings, “If you want, we can stay
and make sure that everything will be A-okay”
The teacher then greeted each one with a smile,
and invited the students to stay for a while.
The room was all filled with toys, books, and maps,
but where were the beds for midmorning naps?
They colored and painted and played Simon Says,
then tumbled and skipped and stood on their heads.
They sang silly songs from beginning to end.
Within just a minute, each kid had a friend.
The children were happy. They loved Miss Sunrise
It was she who was in for a giant surprise.
When what to her wondering eyes should appear
but sad moms and dads who were holding back tears!
Their noses – so sniffly! Their eyes – red and wet!
This was the saddest good-bye Miss Sunrise had seen yet!
She gathered the grown-ups on the magical rug,
then sent them away after one final hug.
The children all waved from the door of the school.
“Don’t cry, Mom and Dad; kindergarten is cool!”

My friend Jayme posted this poem for me on facebook last night. It brought me to tears, of course. But I really owe her a big thank you because I think it helped me keep my cool today and not shed any tears when I dropped off my baby, my sweet Leah for her first day of KINDERGARTEN!

I knew she was in good hands. I knew she was going to be just fine, and she was. We have visited the school so frequently that there were lots of familiar faces. She already loves her teacher Mrs. Richter. And to make the day even better she has two friends in class from preschool. Everything is off to a great start. She went to bed the night before and could hardly stop talking about how excited she was. This morning she jumped out of bed and got to work on her chores right away. She loved posing with her new bag and the chalkboard I decorated. She even laughed when I gave her the one that said "Don't cry, mom." I'm so proud of my girl. And looking forward to all the fun things that this year will bring.