First Day of School! First Day of School!

Well, as you can imagine, yesterday was a pretty exciting day around here. I mean, if you thought Jamie was excited to go for a practice run on the school bus then just imagine how excited she was to be doing the real thing! The time had come {I still can't believe it}. Jamie has had her FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

You'll have to bare with me: there was a lot of picture taking going on. And, this is the tip of the ice burg. She just looks so darn cute and happy in every photo it was hard to pick which ones to share on the blog!

We had her outfit all picked out the night before and her backpack was all set and ready to go. She got up super early and had a nice big breakfast. Then a shower. Despite getting up early we still found ourselves rushing at the last minute. Daddy was helping with her dress while Mommy was helping her on with her socks. Daddy was helping with her teeth while Mommy was blow-drying her hair. I said to her, "This is what it's like if you're a model. Everything is rush, rush, rush, and you've got a bunch of helpers getting you dressed and ready". She said, "I love being a model!"

We did it! Out the door in time!

After a couple of minutes at the bus stop the other parents began to notice Jamie's backpack. "OH! Is Jamie starting school today?!"

Yep-per!!!

Even Maddie was excited for, and proud of, her little baby sister.

After a couple more minutes of photo ops...we saw the big yellow bus turning the corner up ahead.

Bus! Bus!

It was finally time for Jamie to board the bus...for real...with her sister and all the rest of the big kids. This is something she has been waiting for, desperately, for the past 2 years. So hard to believe the moment was finally here.

As a now less-rookie Mom, I have learned to ask my "first day of school kid" to get on the bus last. This allows for clearer photo shots, and usually a better opportunity for a turn and a smile once the "first day of school kid" has made it up those big, big, stairs.

With that...she was off. Time for Dad to go to work and Mom to head back home, all alone, to do the official "house-wife" kinda' stuff? NO WAY. We ran to the truck and raced the bus to the school. Way more first day of school photo ops to be had once she arrives!

Her (wonderful, super-great, lovely, special, one-of-a-kind) teacher met all the little kiddos at the bus to help them off. I was so glad to see this because the night before I couldn't sleep with visions of Jamie, all happy and full of smiles, falling down those big steps under the weight of her huge backpack. {Ya...I am a ridiculously huge worrier.}



But...nothing to worry about! All was great and Jamie was still all smiles as she headed to her classroom.

She knew exactly where her cubby was and went right to work unpacking her backpack and putting on her "indoor shoes".

Time for a couple more photos.

And a pic. with Daddy.

As for me...I didn't stop to think about how I was feeling until we were driving away from the school. But, I had a huge smile on my face, too. I was just so happy and excited for Jamie it was impossible to be sad. She told me the night before she was going to miss me...my eyes, my hair, my hands, my smile, my braces, my belly, my feet, my eyelashes...etc., etc., etc.! It was so cute. I told her I was going to miss her and all her parts, too. It was definitely great to see her again once she got back home and it was so fun to hear all about her big day. I think we'll both be just fine.

Love you Jamie James!!!!