Like most Fridays, I've spent the day alone with my daughter. I try to make the day kind of fun each week. We make our way to various playgrounds, water parks, the mall, the zoo, etc. Today, we went to school and I'm realizing that I'm coming up on a major turning point in my daughter's young life: the first day of school.
I told her last night that we were going to check out a school and Shea was immediately excited. She wanted to leave that minute, which is a surefire sign that Tracy and I are making the right decision. When a three year old is chomping at the bit to hang out at school, it means she needs the socializing, the stimulus that only a formal school environment will bring.
We spend a lazy morning at home playing, dancing, eating breakfast, but the time quickly came when we loaded into the car and headed off for St. John's School. The school is affiliated with a Catholic Church in our town and Tracy and I are both comfortable with that. We both grew up Catholic and we know what kind of information she is going to get about God and the afterlife, so we can do our own distillation of information in the home. We know how to counteract some of the more...peculiar aspects of that particular faith.
The moment we arrived in the parking lot, Shea was fired up and ready to go. She practically dragged me down the sidewalk and into the summer dark halls of the older school building. We entered into the gym instead of taking the long way around the building and Shea was in awe of the basketball court and especially the stage on the far end. She asked, "Is this for big people?"
"No, honey, it's for little people too."
"Oh," she said and smiled. Her gaze roamed around the room taking it all in.
We found our way into the halls of the school and stumbled upon the office of Mrs./Ms. Leslie, the school secretary. She was a lovely woman. She cooed at she and introduced herself. She quickly shook my hand and proceeded to load me up with an application packet and background information. She offered to take us on a tour and we proceeded to wander the halls.
The preschool classroom is nice, big and inviting. There are plenty of toys, chalkboards, activities, etc. The room is a barrage of colors. Primary colors adorn almost everything so the room "pops" when you look around. There is a playground just outside the windows of the classroom and Ms. Leslie quickly began to explain procedures.
There is a check-in/check-out process with the kids. You must register who is going to pick them up each day so there are no "mistakes". It's a new day, y'all, the days of casually sending a grandparent to pick up a child are OVER! But, it makes me feel good to know that they at least have a system and are conscientious about it. Shea would have her own little cubby where she could hang up her jacket and place her boots/bags. Above that is the slot for the parent. This cubby is where the teacher communicates with the parent. If there is any kind of announcement for the parents, it is slotted into this box and you simply need to pick up the information when you arrive.
I'm excited we've arrived at this day. Shea is going to take off like a rocket, I just know it. She's been dying for this kind of stimulus and, I think, once she gets it, we're going to reach milestone after milestone. The future is now, here, rubbing up to this present moment and making me realize that there is no putting off to tomorrow what can be done today with Shea. She won't be my little girl forever. This is the first phase that will lead to her becoming independent and, maybe, needing her daddy a little less. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm deeply conflicted, but there is nothing I can do about it. Tomorrow will come, and the one after that, and if I keep holding on to yesterday, I'll never appreciate today. So, here's to my little girl. In my heart that's what you'll always be.
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