Life at Gray Gables: Starting School...stinks?

It's been a ROUGH week so far! Emotions have been UP/DOWN/UP/DOWN and it is ONLY Wednesday. I am a PARENT. I am new to all this school stuff, but am learning in the FAST TRACK lane! We have had mix ups- school records at a different school...Communication issues...and School Started on Monday and MY KID never got picked up by the bus... Yes, it has been fun. (said in my super sarcastic voice!)

So, where we now live, we have a school that is literally 4 minutes (according to Google Maps, I can make it in less than 2) and a school that is 12 minutes (a good estimate Google Maps!) away. Guess which one we get to go to? Yup, you guess it, we are 12 minutes away. Oh joy! It was a lot of back and forth, trying to get the school 4 minutes away, but with a transfer and the school being FULL, it was finally a no go.

OK, OK, I was dealing well with this info. But, here we are, and I am left pretty unsettled. I wish we could of went to the 4 minute school, but I have to make do with the other school- even though it has been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster.

So, picture this. I get my kiddo up and Adam on Monday morning. We get all ready, I am getting her pumped up for the bus- yes, I said the BUS! She has to take this grand old yellow school bus at 5 years old...and Nana and Papa come over, Daddy gets up and it is a big deal, right! We are waiting....waiting...waiting and it is pouring...pouring...pouring rain. Guess what, no BUS. We went out to wait nearly twenty minutes before it was time for the bus to come. Finally, after waiting quiet a while and thinking maybe, just maybe, this rain has something to do with the delay (yes, we were all remaining patiently optimistic) I finally called, again (I have already called 3 times...the week before for different missing links..eek) and guess what...She was NOT going to school that day. How disappointing for my 5 year old. I mean, I was fuming mad! I mean, how does MY KID not get picked up? Then, come to find out, they are missing her records...guess that is how??! Then to see my kid confused and hurt that she was so pumped to start school, which I am sure is scary!- and now, she had to wait another day... My poor girl!

Well, we got through Monday. We hugged a lot and took it easy for the raw emotions that I could see just under the surface.

Tuesday comes and we start over. New day, new adventure, clean slate. I worked so hard to get her excited. It was not happening! She was ready to get on the bus when the 1st bus rolled up, only to find out that was not HER bus. (eek! Another hurdle!)

A little while later (I say this sarcastically again, since it was a half an hour we stood out at the end of our driveway) HER bus finally arrives. (Hallelujah!) Her Dad had made his way out of bed by this time and was waiting with Sissy and Mommy and guess who DID NOT want to get on the BUS? My poor baby girl. I boarded with her, she found a seat and was crying her eyes out. As the bus left, all we could see is our baby girl crying, looking out the window at us. (heart string pulled hard here!) Well, her Dad was almost in tears also! He jumped in the car and said he was going to drive to the school to make sure she was OK. (this is hard on a Daddy!)

Needless to say, about 30 minutes later (no exaggeration) he comes back and says she must be OK because he did not see her. I reassured him that she makes friends fast and will be fine!

Anyone else exhausted yet? Man, emotional anyone!!!

At 11:15 a.m. her Dad headed out to wait for her bus to drop her off. (This is KICK START, and just for K- so they can get familiar with the routine and teachers before school officially starts on the 25th- then it is FULL days!) It was not until almost Noon that she arrived and with a SMILE on her face and a new friend to talk about!

We also got good information that the first bus that passed us in the morning will now be her bus and she is the 3rd to be picked up and 3rd to be dropped off! (YES!)

Anxiety and nerves are still running high, as we just sent her off again on her official 2nd day and it took a lot of coaxing from Good Old Mom here to get her in the mood for school. (She was pretty adamant yesterday and this morning that she DID NOT want to GO and it was NO FAIR!) But, she schooled me on Bus Safety this morning and made me very proud! I am so sad that she is already entering school and pray to God that she falls in love with it and excels. She loves learning and I just hope that this school does not hinder her in ANY way.