Jacob went to his first day of preschool today and it was a surprisingly calm process to leave him there. Whenever I hear about someone's first child going off to preschool, I always picture tears (from child AND parent), and of course some hesitance to leave your first-born in the care of others for a significant amount of time. However, having known some of the ladies there from years ago, I knew that he was in good hands and would be ok. We (Greg, Noah, and I) said our goodbyes and after a few minutes, went to comfort ourselves with a cup of coffee; chocolate milk for Noah :)
Jacob met his teacher last week and that really helped I think; she was a (somewhat) familiar face to him so he trusted her enough to feel comfortable. His class starts their day out in the play yard which was perfect for him because there are swings, playground equipment, bikes to ride, trucks to play with, a play kitchen, etc. However, going inside proved to be tough for him and he had some tears :( The teacher reported back to us that he did great outside playing, but having to go inside was where he had a hard time. I think that will just take some time to get over. It's a lot for a 3 year old to take in- new children, new teacher, mom & dad not there, new surroundings. It's all a process and I think that in a week or two, it will have become routine, and he will enjoy going to school more and more. I think talking about time inside will help too; he's such an active little guy that I'm sure being told to stay inside was something new. He is used to being able to play outside whenever he wants (for the most part) so having to do indoor activities will take a little getting used to. He did mention that he painted a heart for "you, and daddy, and Noah" so I'm looking forward to picking that up on Thursday :)
All in all, it was a success and I can't wait for what new adventures (and friends hopefully!) preschool will bring. It was definitely hard to say good-bye this morning, but I was also very happy to let him go off on this new adventure. I think Thursday will be hard too, but I know soon enough he will be the one saying "bye mom, see you later" and run off to his friends. I love my little dude so much and days like today make me even more proud to be a mommy. It really is a special honor and a true blessing to have the two little loves that I do. They are my world <3
