First Steps Down a LONG Road

My first child will be entering school on Monday. I still can't believe that the time has come already. Seems like just yesterday I was bringing her home all bundled up from the hospital. Now she is 4 years old and starting Kindergarten. Man, time sure does fly! We have enrolled "Princess" (she loves Disney Princesses and the color pink...and I got tired of referring to her as "4".) in a private Kindergarten rather than public school, and today we got to go for Orientation to see her classroom and meet her teacher. "Mrs. S" as she will be called for the purposes of this blog...was very nice. She is actually the daughter of a wonderful lady who taught the 3- year old group at the same Kindergarten when I attended the 4-year old class there 21 years ago. Princess was a little nervous upon entering the building. The school is part of a large church in town and I think she was intimidated by all the doors, stairs, etc. However, that soon changed when we got to her classroom and she spotted the bright red apple on the door with her name on it. We went in and she found "her" chair with her own namecard, tray of crayons, pencil, glue, and scissors...and her daily folder. Mrs. S told her how she would get to take the folder home to Mommy and Daddy each afternoon and bring it back to her each morning. She found her assigned "cubby hole" where she is to keep her new Disney Princess backpack and other belongings during classroom hours, and even more quickly she discovered the toys. There is a large bookcase full of her favourite storytime characters, and a little wooden kitchenette with sink, stove, and cupboards that quickly drew her full attention. There are only 12 other kids in her class, one of whom is one of her first cousins who she is pretty close to. That will help them both adjust more quickly I hope. (Though I think I am probably more nervous about her starting school than she is.) I just keep thinking to myself...this is her first step down a very long road. Thanks to "year 'round" schooling, Monday she starts down a path that will last for the next 14 years, and that's just until high school graduation! My baby will be just fine, but I don't think I'm ready for this!