First Day of Pre-K

August 24 finally arrived. We've been preparing Margot for this day, for her first day at a new school. A big girl school. A school that has kids all the way up to the 5th grade.

Once again, Margot has gone from being the big fish in a small pond to a very tiny fish in an ocean. (And yes, I felt like I was in an ocean this morning with hundreds of kids reporting for the first day of school, including the mayor's sons.) She began the morning with smiles; hence, the happy photo below taken before we drove the short distance to school. But, once there, she had a minor meltdown at the prospect of not having her old napmat (this new school requires vinyl nap mats, not the cushy sleeping-bag-like one she used to use).

Margot brought Clover the bear with her for comfort. Unfortunately, she's also not allowed to bring stuffed animals to school with her. Sigh. This is going to be a tough transition.

She was clearly overtired and overwhelmed when I arrived to pick her up, and shed some tears on the way home. We came home and she watched Caillou and ate Ritz crackers while I finished up work. That seemed to perk her up some, and so then we took a long walk to the park with Portia. I tried asking about school to get the details, but Margot wasn't interested in talking. Hmmm...wonder where she gets that from! (Seems to be both a Daileader trait and a Ruland trait!)

I know that she will adjust eventually, and that she'll also succeed. But it's just so tough seeing her through the hard times! It makes me sad that she was truly loved at her old school, whereas here she's more of a student. Hopefully, we will find a balance.