Um...So...It Isn't The Cutest Alpaca Ever? With His Little Toofies?

As if life could be improved upon after Chuck E Cheese and miniature golf, Andrew has decided earthly joy has now peaked with the arrival of kindergarten. There he is above, posing at the end of his first day (Wednesday) with Mrs. Funk and his freshly decorated gingerbread man.

That morning he skipped down the stairs at 7 o'clock on the dot, ready for a bowl of cereal and anxious to put on the new belt we got as part of his uniform. He didn't want any help getting ready (I found a belt with a magnetic clap - glory be!) and I was so delighted when he ran into the kitchen like this:

Oh my. Oh my oh my oh my. So cute, my heart nearly burst. We decided to try to the shirt the other way, just so we could take in all our options, and ultimately felt having the buttons in the front might be handy. By 7:36 we were walking down Lula Street, backpack securely fastened, lunch box tucked inside containing a granola bar, Mandarin oranges and some cranberry juice, Elsbeth contentedly riding along in the jogging stroller.

I knew he'd be a little timid going in, but he actually did better than I thought! I love this precious, anxious little face trying to smile for a picture before I left, but not quite able to get one out over the butterflies:

Elsbeth and I had a low key morning of kitchen clean-up, bed-making, and some story time thrown in for a little spice. I must have looked at the clock 80 times. He really isn't gone all that long - I pick him up at noon - but after 5 years of him as my constant shadow, it was just so very strange not to have him there!

When Els and I showed up to get him, he was sitting outside in the hallway with all his classmates waiting to go, and I'm happy to report that he shrieked with glee to see me. Before I left him in the morning, I told him to try to remember everything he did because I was going to be so excited to hear all about it. After the grin and happy shriek and his wild delight to show me his gingerbread craft, I was waiting for a bubbly report on our walk home. As soon as we exited the building, I smiled at him at said, "So, how was it?" His little face got all serious and he looked down and replied, "Well, I don't know." My worried eyebrows appeared. "Did you not like school?" I asked. His face brightened again straight away. "Oh yes! It was great! I'm just not sure if I remember everything." :-)

Let me just say how thrilled beyond words I am to have his sweet little school that offers a 4-day-a-week, 3.5 hour-a-day kindergarten THAT WE CAN WALK TO! I'm a little obsessed with the walking, I have to confess. It's just over a mile and uphill most of the way there and sometimes Andrew feels the need to say things like, "You know, if we had driven, we'd be there by now" or pitch himself in the grass to rest ...

... but it's just so fabulous! And Friday we stopped by Mr. Ruling's place on the way home to get eggs from his chickens and had scrambled eggs for lunch. It's been a good week. (Except for all the poop on Friday, but I won't soil this post with reality.)