First Day of School

Family photo before leaving for school

 So, my eyes are still a little wet as I type this... 

my Kate is in kindergarten!!!

I have so much to say, but don't know how to put everything down.  So here are a bunch of pictures:

 At her school all the children meet in the cafeteria before the morning bell to wait for their teachers.  Kate was too nervous to sit on the stage alone so Dylan was happy to oblige.

Then Mike took a turn with her.  She was understandably overwhelmed and more than a little nervous by this point.  Her face tells it all.

 Kate's teacher is a sweet lady.  And I just realized I didn't get a picture with them together!  Ugh.  Chalk it up to first-time parent jitters or something.  Anyway, once they got to the classroom, things were looking better.  Kate found her locker and settled in to work on a first-day-of-school worksheet.

One more parting picture from the doorway, and we were off!

And I might have cried the entire way home... maybe.

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A few things about Kate's back-to-school experience:

The other day Mike and Kate had a talk about Priesthood blessings and Mike offered to give her one for the beginning of the school year.  At first she was apprehensive and told him she didn't want to do it, so he didn't push it.  But then yesterday she pulled him aside quietly (she didn't want me to hear for some reason) and asked him to give her a blessing.  It was quite possibly the most emotional thing I've witnessed in a long time.  Just before bed we went into her room.  And before Mike got in there she asked me, "So do I sit on my bed, or kneel down, or what?"  Haha.  It struck me as so funny!  Anyway, Mike sat her on a chair and offered a beautiful blessing.  I know it's not reverent, but I watched Kate the entire time.  She had her eyes shut tight with her arms folded and she just looked so grown up sitting there with her father's strong hands on her head.  I am so incredibly grateful for the power of the Priesthood and the fact that Mike is such an amazing dad.  She fell right to sleep after that blessing.

I, on the other hand, tossed and turned and had all those back-to-school dreams and woke feeling quite exhausted.  But we had a wonderful morning and everything went as well as I imagined.

I am so proud of Kate, for being brave (ish) at her big new school.  It's kind of intimidating walking in there as a five-year-old to a crowded lunch room with "big kids" up to sixth grade sitting there.  I was a little intimidated too, I'm not gonna lie. :)

Anyway, she's there.  And Mike is now at work, so it's just me and the Dyl.  We miss our Kate already!  3:15 p.m. better come quick!