1st Day Pre-K and Some Regret

Anna attended her first day of Pre-K today.  It consumed her brain all night last night and you won't be surprised to hear that she was up and fully dressed and waiting for me when I got up at 7:15.  We got her fed, lunch made, hair done, and teeth brushed in enough time to get our beloved "First Day" pics made.  We did a few sessions to get just the right shot and, let me tell you, it was MUCH easier to do with Anna than it has ever been with Noah.  She totally gets why this shot has to look good. :}

And look good, it did!  Isn't she sweet?!!!

I thought, with her feminine little heart and all, that she would come home FULL of details to fill me in on her day.  Unfortunately, she played like Noah when we picked her up and it was like pulling teeth to find out anything at all.  Maybe she was just too tired?  Probably, she was too spacey and distracted to take much in.  That's my girl, for sure!

Anyway, after we got home and settled, I asked her again to tell me her favorite thing about her first day so I could blog it.  She did me that and better.  She told me THREE things:  

1.  She made a friend that loves her and her name is London.  (I think I know her mom actually.)
2.  She got to do lots and lots of art.  ♥
3.  She got to clip up to Purple. :)

So we are just pleased that her first day was successful and that she is happy to go back on Thursday.  Looking forward to all this year might hold for my girl as she gets nearer and nearer to kindergarten.  Part of me hates that she is not in kindergarten right now like I always thought she would be.  Since our county changed the birthday cutoff date a year ago, Anna just barely misses it this year by a matter of weeks.  This means she'll be practically 6 when she goes to school.  Then again, if I am being honest, part of me would hate it if she WAS going off to kindergarten right now because it just might kill the sweet and spacey streak that lingers in her little heart and it would chase away the last bit of baby left in her.  Keeping that in mind, I have just about made my peace with her having this extra year to just be little.  I'm not sure why it's been such a struggle to accept; I already know how much I wish I had done the same with Noah instead of bustling him off to kindergarten only two months after he turned 5.  :(  Look at how LITTLE he was!!! In this First Day of Kindergarten shot he is only 3 months older than Anna is now in her pre-K shot above.

Oh, Kimmie, how I want to shake you for not letting him be little longer.   Even worse, he already had a year of 5 day a week formal preschool under his belt at this age!  The difference is stunning to me! My heart hurts to compare the notes. Just counting my lucky stars that I have this season of homeschooling to try to recapture even a shred of that time with him that I gave up far too easily.