When Little Girls Grow Up

Yesterday marked a momentous day in our family. Hannah started school. Last Thursday we visited her classroom and met her teacher Ms. Lampman. We dropped off the plethora of school supplies and she explored her new surroundings.

All weekend she kept asking when it would be Monday. She only got up ten minutes early, for which I was grateful. She wore her back pack around for about 15 minutes before we left for school. She got up and got ready really well. She was so happy to head off though I think Jonathan was a little sad. He gave her a few hugs and kisses before he would let her go.

We arrived really early because there is no parking at the school. So we sat in the car and talked for about 10 minutes. Then we made our way up the school, taking a few moments for a couple pictures.


Hannah found her cubby and hung her back pack up. Then she picked out her sticker and without hardly a glance said, "Bye mom." Then I sat around in the cafeteria for a little while only to hear the same thing I had heard twice before. I felt like I had kind of wasted my morning by taking her to school yesterday but it was nice to see her to her class.


I wish it had been as easy as that, however, we went to pick her up from the bus and it was not the "butterfly bus" we'd been told she should ride. There was a lot of traffic on the bus drivers radio so we couldn't find out where she was. So they told us to go to the school and they would take her back there.

We went and quickly. I knew she would be so upset when she got there and I didn't want to miss her. We waited and waited. Finally just as I volunteered to go check where the office people thought the kids (there were two other kids on the wrong bus too) may have gotten off the bus, the bus rounded the corner. Hannah slowly made her way off the bus, wide eyed and scared. All I could do was hug her and cry with her. I finally found my voice and reassured her that she was fine and I was grateful that she had stayed on the bus. The principal was out there along with her teacher by them and they too, comforted and did what they could to help. The principal brought Hannah in for a little snack and a drink before we left. By the time we got in the car I think Hannah was all better and we headed to the Library.

That afternoon Hannah called her grandma's and her dad and related the story of her day to them. She started each time by telling about her bus adventure. By the time Hyrum heard it when he got home from work I think she was over it and she just felt like it was a real school adventure. Today she was ready to go back and all was well. We've figured out the real bus for her to ride and today, I have no doubts I will see her walk off the bus at our stop.

All in all, I am excited for this experience. It opens up our world a lot and while that has it's challenges, I really believe it will help us all grow and be better people. I look forward to Back to School Night in a couple weeks where we can learn more about the curriculum and more details about her class.