Lucy's First Day of Kindergarten

This day was practically a non-event, in all the good ways. I had made the seemingly big decision to not attend opening circle each day this year, in hopes that drop-off would be easier. Well, after a small amount of inner angst on my part, and a teeny amount of outer angst on Lucy's part, I did in fact leave with Jasper almost right away, before circle-time. This is after attending every almost single circle last year. Lucy was absolutely fine and enjoyed her day. As usual, at the end of it, she didn't tell offer and I didn't ask for details. They will emerge when and if she is inspired, not on demand. But I did ask her if she'd give the day a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down and she gave a resounding thumbs-up. That will have to suffice for now...

Compared to all her friends attending various public schools this year, Lucy's year is very business-as-usual. She is going to the same school with the same teachers and many of the same kids as last year. The only difference is that she is going five days a week instead of three. And that this year, I am really letting it be "her" experience instead of Jasper and I hovering around in the beginning. I left the car parked outside of Lucy's school and Jasper and I walked up to the zoo for some much-needed animal time. Jasper really loves the animals and is interested in watching them for longer times than Lucy so it was a treat to let him linger while a hummingbird drank from a honeysuckle, the ducks floated in the pond, the flower beatle played with a woodchip, the spider scampered around his web, the lemurs called to each other and jumped around in the trees, the jaguar restlessly paced the perimeter of his enclosure, and the gorillas ate their lettuce and broccoli. and just like when he looks at our animal encyclopedia or our dinosaur book, at least once a minute he asked "oats that?" trans: what's that? Oh, a Victoria-Crowned Pigeon... after a thoughtful stare, he says "et's go, mama."