We’ve been getting Chloe ready for school for about a year. Even though she has zero trouble getting up on stage and dancing with the Center Stage Dance Company, she is an introvert like her dad (hi!) and has a hard time with new people, especially in large groups.

Tara has been working with her on her letters, numbers, writing, and coloring. Chloe has gotten really good at all those things, including writing her name. The one thing that she wasn’t so good at, was getting over the anxiety and the fear of being away from her whole world: home.

Open House

The week before, we attended the Open House. There was a short introduction to the staff, and then everyone was dismissed to their classrooms.

As we walked the halls, Chloe was very excited by all the “kid-sized” stuff, the library, and the huge playground! As we arrived at Mrs. Gunn’s room, it was already pretty full. Chloe immediately grabbed Tara and clung on for dear life.

As we walked in, Mrs. Gunn leaned over and introduced herself. Chloe didn’t budge or even say hello back. You can just imagine what was going through her mind! Tara and Mrs. Gunn chatted for a moment, and they seemed to hit it off right away (always a great sign!) and we were directed to find our seats.

I was holding Wyatt, when Mrs. Gunn gave her a short presentation about what to expect this year, including what each day would look like, the rules, and what to expect throughout the year.

The night before the big day, I read Chloe a couple of school stories, The Berenstain Bear’s: Go To School and Llama Llama Misses Mama to help ease her into the next morning. After we said our good nights, Tara and I went downstairs to make her lunch and snacks.

You could cut the emotions in the kitchen with a knife,

“Are you ok honey bear?” Tara was definitely not ok.

“Our baby starts school tomorrow!”

The big day

The alarm went off at 6:30 am and the house was a buzz with the sounds of getting ready to meet the day. This was all new, to all of us. Normally it’s quiet, with the usual sounds of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and coffee brewing.

Instead, it was a hustle and bustle getting dressed, doing hair, and answering the 103,532 questions from Wyatt centered around, “Why is Chloe going to school?”.

At 7:10 am, I was snapping (way too many) photos.

At 7:15 am, Chloe was in the van. Tears were everywhere, from everyone.

Wyatt and I said goodbye and wished her good luck. After a couple of extra hugs, Tara and Chloe were pulled out of the driveway and headed for the Enterprise Early Education Center. The house was so quiet it was deafening.

The aftermath

Chloe loved it! Of course, we knew she would. She was becoming more and more restless at home, and this was the next step in her development. She still struggles a bit with being away from home, drop off is always interesting…but at the end of the day? She always has a bunch of stories about her new friends Troy, Ariana, and Jackson.