Travelingjenny

Yep, they were ready for the first day of school. They had their new backpacks, funky outfits, and shiny sneakers. The countdown was finally complete.

First we walked Grace into her room, and she said a quick goodbye then walked off to greet her friends. It was no big deal — just the kind of farewell you would expect from a happy, comfortable second-grader. Then we walked Tess next door to the Kindergarten classroom, where the teacher was unspooling yarn to create a spiderweb throughout the classroom (they are studying insects). We helped Tess get her cubby organized, and she placed a family photo at the top. Then, as promised, she gave me one hug. She kissed my hand (and Adam's), and I kissed hers — a sweet gesture from a favorite book about the first day of school. And then, as she was playing in the web with a classmate, we walked out. She smiled and gave a quick wave, and I saved my tears for the parking lot. When I came back to pick her up, she was holding a small jar containing a potato bug. Her teacher said she had saved it all afternoon to show me. I think she may have missed me after all — just a little.