A month of changes

Kenz started Kindergarten today. This is the last big change in a month that has held a lot of changes for her. Kev and I know that she is ready for school, but I'm not sure she knows it.

In the past month she has stopped going to the daycare she's been to since she was a baby. "Roro" has been so wonderful to Kenz. Roro has a gift for developing routines and providing an incredible sense of security for the children she cares for. For the past 4 years, she has seen her best friend Joey there 5 days a week. And, she has been with Jack since he started going to Roro's as a baby. So in one move, she lost 3 very important things in her life.

As you know, Shayna left for NewPaltz on 8/21. This has been a great thing for Shayna, but very difficult for Kenz. She misses Shayna greatly, especially in the evenings when she wants some quiet time and snuggles. As adults we know that Shayna will be back for holidays and some weekends. This is little comfort to Kenz. She wants her Shayna here, and doesn't want to talk to her on the phone.

And now...Kindergarten has started. I don't even know what to say about this. She woke up this morning and didn't want to go. As a Mom, I began asking myself, "what did I do wrong? Why isn't she prepared and excited? How can I help her feel good about going?" As a 5 year old, she informed me," I have a loose tooth. And so I don't think I'll go to school today." Oh boy!

We talked about the one boy she met at Open house last night. We talked about how he chose to sit next to her for this morning in class. We talked about Shayna's first day at college, and how she was scared. But now Shayna loves college, so she might love school too!

Reluctantly, she got up and got dressed. We went downstairs, and the answer to all of my self doubting questions was sitting on the kitchen island: The super cool Spiderman water bottle that I picked up on a whim in Target last night! That's right. A $2 Spiderman water bottle was the answer. She smiled! She was happy! We walked to the car together and Kevin took her to her first day of school!

And guess what else: She lost her tooth during lunch! The principal and nurse made a huge deal out of it. Some of the kids were very excited for her. She told me "I didn't C-R-Y once all day!"

So my "tough guy" little girl, who doesn't like change much, came back home happy and with a little bounce in her step at the end of the first day of Kindergarten! Let's hope tomorrow goes as well! And, here's hoping we can continue to help her adjust to all of the changes she'll face in the future; whatever they may be.