It's her first day...

And she cried when I dropped her off. Oh, no. Not the tears. I was repressing my own as I walked away from her outstretched arms.

Not that her teacher helped. Her teacher didn't even greet her when she went in the classroom. Ms. X is about 23 years old at most, I believe. Seriously, don't they train Kindergarten teachers to say hello to their pupils? She was busy sorting markers, and the students all sat staring at each other at their desks, except for one little annoying guy who ran around with a glue stick in his hand. I think he'd been sniffing it.

And the teacher had moved her desk. At orientation, Katie was near the center of the classroom. Now she's off to the side, seated next to "Bertha," who must be about 75 lbs. She is the biggest Kindergartener I've seen in my entire life. Seeing that this is a person to have on your side, I introduced her to Katie. "Bertha" gave a loud, obnoxious "Haayyy" as she scratched her belly, which protruded over her jeans. Please, please don't turn my baby into a redneck.

Full report later on the first day. I'm here at work biting my nails, watching the clock, and hoping that I saw the worst part of Katie's day. Private school keeps looking better and better...

In all seriousness, though, it was a lot harder to watch Katie go than I thought it would be. Last night I sat looking at baby pictures, amazed at how quickly the years have passed. My cute little toddler is now 'school-aged' and off to make her own mark in the world. I realize she still depends on us, but at the same time, this is the dawn of her independence. Time to spread her wings. You want your kid to grow up to be independent, self-assured and such, but when the time comes to begin to let go, it's so much harder than I thought it would be.

She'll be fine. She'll adjust, and she'll love Kindergarten, I'm sure. Ms. X is probably just as nervous as her pupils and has no clue how to interact with parents yet. "Bertha" will likely become her best friend, and a great ally when bullies prevail the playground. And I'll learn to love having a routine for the first time in over a year.

But today, right now, I'm a bit blue... my baby is growing up too quickly!

UPDATE: She LOVED her first day! When I asked what the best part was, she said "everything!" I had been so worried, but she stopped crying by the time the pledge started (before I'd even walked out of the building). She also told me she made so many friends that it was hard to choose who to play with. Yay. She survived! (and so did I...)