School for Noelle

It was time. Noelle has been ready, and I was finally ready. There is a pre-school/daycare just around the corner from us that I had heard wonderful things about, so I checked it out and it seemed like the perfect fit. Noelle can go 2 days a week, and I can have some time to do....everything. The first day there were no tears at all because she was just so excited. The second day there were a few tears, but I remembered something my friend did when her daughter got sad and it worked like a charm. I drew a heart on Noelle's hand, then a heart on my hand and told her that whenever we missed each other, we could look at our hearts. Her teacher said she just kept looking at it all day, smiling, and holding it to her cheek.
Since then, we draw a heart every school day, but there has been no more sadness and no more tears. She LOVES school. She is sometimes sad on the days that she doesn't have school. Her main teacher is Miss Paula, and Noelle adores her. One of the other teachers is Mr. Bart and Noelle says he is her boyfriend. :)  I love that she is getting to do so many craft projects and sing songs and make new friends because, to be honest, I have not been the most crafty mom lately. We definitely always include art in our days, but it is usually not very involved. I am a better mom now because there is a little balance to my week and I have some time to concentrate and get my studies done.
Here's the conversation from the night before school started:
Delilah: You get to go to school tomorrow, Noelle!
Noelle: Yay! Will I get stickers?
Delilah: Probably. I'm not sure. But one thing I'm sure of is that you will make a lot of new friends.

 How's that for sisterly encouragement? :)

Here is the little bug on her first day.

So happy for you, Noelle...and there are few things better than getting to see your sweet, smiling face when I pick you up at the end of the day!!!!!