Back to school....

"Ohhhhhhh

Back To School

Back To School

To Prove To Dad That I'm Not A Fool

I've Got My Luch Packed Up

My Boots Tied Tight

I Hope I Don't Get In A Fight

Ohhhh

Back To School

Back To School

Back To School"

~Adam Sandler, "Back to School", Billy Madison

Well, my wee girl, not even 5, returned to the land of learning this week. What a big leap this is for her, and I'm very proud that she's handling it so well.

Alice has moved on to senior kindergarten at a french immersion school, leaving the friends she made in junior kindergarten and the old school behind. She rode the bus for the first time on Monday and was thrilled about it. She leapt onto the bus without so much as a kiss goodbye, excited to find her seat. I, of course, followed behind in the car and got a little choked when the radio station played Fergie's, "Big Girls Don't Cry". (lol!)

Yeah, well mommies do!

I watched her semi-nervously get off the bus and follow the bigger kids to the yard. She walked up the side gates and was starting to follow the young girl who was leading her, but was quickly guided back to the wall where she was to line up. I stood by the tree and watched as she looked around at the other kids and smiled. I had pangs of guilt for not standing there with her, as I saw 5 or 6 other moms doing, but I knew I needed to let Alice do this herself. I had to let "The Bee" fly by herself finally. And it was hard, but we both did it.

She came home from school the first day with a big smile on her face and was eager to tell me the things they did in the day. A big difference from her first (and every day!) of junior kindergarten. I was slightly worried that her JK experience was going to hinder her going in to the french immersion program, but after her first day, I think I was very wrong. She is going to learn and grow so much more than she did last year, and I can't wait to watch it. And that's not to say that her experience at the old school was entirely a bad one, I just think it could (or should) have been much better.

To celebrate her first day and make it that much more exciting for her, I baked a cake while she was at school. Now, it was more glorious and well put together in my imagination, but heck - it didn't turn out too badly if I do say so myself! She was thrilled with it and said, "Aww, mommy... that was so nice of you to bake me a cake! Thank you! You're a good mommy." My heart melted. I'm no Martha, but I am a "... good mommy." Yay!

She is there for day 2 today, and while I miss her, I'm incredibly excited for her. The teacher sent home a list of the vocabulary they will be learning this month, and I don't think it will be hard for her at all. I have already taught her things like, "Bonjour", "je m'appelle", "mes amis", so this will be a walk in the park!

And she is showing she is eager to learn the language already. While cooking dinner Monday night, Alice said "What are we having, mommy?"

I said, "Your favourite... spagetti!"

"Yay!" she said. "Hey mom, do you know how they say spagetti in french? Spagetto!"

À bientôt!