It was a momentous day in the McPherson house at the end of August – when the world’s most excited six-year-old skipped off to first grade.  Clare had been anticipate being a first-grader for… almost a year.  She did her kindergaren year at our little Montessori school, somewhat begrudgingly because, while she loved her school, she desparately wanted to go to the “big school” with her best bud G.  She spent most of the summer counting down until the big day when she could go to elementary school.

That day finally finally finally came.  The backpack was bought and packed, the outfit was chosen, the teacher was met and the classroom was visited in advance, and the girl was ready.  J and I each took her hands and we all walked to school together.  Clare practically skipped she was so excited.  But she contained her enthusiasm and walked right up and into the school she had been waiting for.

Once we got into the classroom, the teacher asked that children and parents sat on the rug at first.  Clare insisted on sitting on my lap for the first minute.  Then she slid off my lap and held my hand… then I slipped back to stand in the back of the classroom… then Clare got up, hung up her backpack, gave her dad and I a hug, and sat down at her desk.  Not a sniffle, not a tear, not a look back – at least not from her.

(Momma, on the other hand, was well-accessorized with big sunglasses to hide my teary eyes.  I noticed a few of us wearing Jackie O style sunglasses…)

I picked our girl up after school that day and she ran into my arms.  “I have two new friends and I love school!”

About seven weeks into the school year now and she still loves it.  We all really like her teacher and, while the K-5 neighborhood school is certainly bigger than our two little two-room Montessori school, the school has a tight-knit and loving community to it.  The kids at the school seem to be really nice and there is a lot of parent involvement (in a good way).  Clare has made several friends, though she remains best buddies with her beloved G.

As for the teary-eyed Mom, watching my girl step a little further out into the world has been so rewarding.  How wrong I was back when I asked her to stay a baby forever.  How much I would have missed if she never learned to run, skip, introduce herself to new friends and bask in her own independence.  It felt so very good to hold her in my arms, but she’s teaching me that it feels even better when I open my arms and watch her fly.

I guess first grade is teaching new lessons to all of us.