Yesterday was a big day in our house! Chase had his very first day of preschool and while it was only a half-day (he’s going for two half-days a week), it still felt like a big milestone for us and served as yet another reminder for just how fast time is flying by with our little boy.
(Sadie kills me in the above picture. It’s almost like she’s saying, “Go learn, little boy. The kingdom is mine again. Muhaha!”)
We’ve been talking up school like crazy in our house and trying to get Chase excited for time with his teacher and classmates (and time away from mom and dad). Yesterday morning, when he was up and ready for the day, I told him it was his first day of school and we talked about his teachers and the fun things he might do over breakfast.
With about 15 minutes to spare, I took Chase (and his wooden dog, of course) onto our front porch for the obligatory first day of school pictures and I’m 100 percent convinced the only reason the pictures turned out well is because Chase was busy “teaching” his dog and telling him all about the apples on his sign and spoiling him with pets, cuddles and scratches.
As we began loading everything into the car, it started to pour so we drove off to school in the rain and sang “Ducks Like Rain” until Chase was over it and requested “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” his current go-to song. When we arrived, Chase seemed excited as we dashed inside but I quickly felt his little hands dig into me when we entered the bustling halls of his school. I could feel his apprehension and barely had time to give him a quick hug and kiss goodbye before he was ushered into his classroom. The drop off happened SO fast! (They don’t let the parents in the classroom during drop off at Chase’s school to try to avoid complete meltdowns and prolonged goodbyes.)
Of course I immediately darted to to window that allows parents to look in and observe their children and saw him spot his friend Claire, wave an enthusiastic hello and join her at a table to play with toys. Phew! Instant sigh of relief. Apparently he forgot all about mom when new toys were available!
I feel so, so fortunate when I think about all of the time I’ve had with Chase so far. I know I’m incredibly lucky and I’ve treasured our time together so much. To be able to spend my days with him means so much to me and it’s not something I take for granted for one second. When I think about the emotions I felt after leaving him at preschool, I think my sadness was less tied to the physical act of leaving him at school (I truly think it will be a wonderful thing for him) and more tied to the fact that preschool signifies growing up in my eyes.
Even if Chase is still years away from “real” school, beginning preschool is just one of those milestones that reminds me I cannot go back in time and relive the baby days with my toddler who still very much feels like my baby. Experienced moms: Do your kids ever stop feeling like your babies!? Sometimes I find myself wanting to press pause on this phase when Chase is still my number one little buddy and we are the center of each other’s worlds. But then I see him do something new, something more independent and realize that watching him grow and change and become his own little person is so amazing.
After I dropped off Chase, I headed to boot camp for my morning workout and was joined by my friend Lauren whose daughter is also in Chase’s preschool class. Of course we chatted a mile a minute about the drop off and our kids but eventually focused on the workout and ended up looking nice and sweaty 45 minutes later thanks to a killer cardio session.
Once the workout was over, I caught up with some friends before heading home to shower, grab a snack and tackle my inbox for an hour before swinging by the grocery store on my way to pick up Chase. (When people told me the small amount of time kids are in half-day preschool flies by, they weren’t kidding!)
When I arrived at Chase’s preschool, I joined in the pickup line and waited for my turn to pick up Chase. At Chase’s school, one of the preschool teachers brings the kids out into the hall one-by-one and chats with each parent for a minute or two to give them the rundown on how the day went for their child. I couldn’t wait to see Chase and scooped him up into a big hug when he came out. He had a big smile on his face but looked completely pooped! His teacher said he did really well and acted like he’d been at school for ages. Another big sigh of relief! (Also, it sounds like the children who cried and resisted drop off at the beginning of the day did SO well, too. Yay! I just wanted to share that here in case any parents out there are worried about a tearful drop off going into the school year. I certainly was and the teachers said it’s to be expected as kids adjust to a new environment and being away from their parents.)
As I loaded Chase into the car, I asked him about his day and he told me (in toddler-speak, of course – we’re not getting full soliloquies from him yet) that he played with a soccer ball, rode on a bike, listened to a story about bears and played with Claire and Cooper. He also cried when I told him we were going home and wanted to go back to school, so I drove home feeling quite happy with his experience, even if mom was old news and school was way cooler to him after his first day.
Once we arrived back home, I gave Chase a snack (they have lunch at school) and unloaded groceries before he went down for a much-needed nap. Once he was sleeping, I did a little dinner prep and threw together an avocado-massaged kale salad topped with chopped chicken thighs, roasted butternut squash, hemp seeds and nutritional yeast for lunch. (Check out my Instagram for a more detailed rundown of this salad if you’re interested.)
I ate my salad as I began typing up this blog post and tackling a few things on my blog to-do list. I was convinced Chase would nap like a total champ after such a busy morning at preschool, but he was up a little more than an hour later, ready for more playtime.
I figured some quiet time at home would be good after his busy morning, so we hung out around the house, read books, drew pictures on his easel and colored before it was quite clear Chase was ready to get out! Since it was pouring outside, I texted a few friends to see if anyone wanted to meet up at Gymboree’s open gym for an afternoon play date. My friend Laura replied that her baby was sleeping but her toddler was ready for friends and invited a couple of us over to her place instead. We spent the next hour and a half or so at Laura’s before driving home and pulling into the driveway a few minutes before Ryan arrived home from work.
Ryan and Chase played with toy airplanes for a bit while I got dinner ready and we sat down for a family dinner a little before 7 p.m. Chase talked a bit more about his school day when Ryan asked him questions and then it was time for his bed time routine.
Once Chase was settled in his crib, Ryan and I watched an episode of Big Brother before turning the lights out and trying our best to go to sleep nice and early.
I hope you all have a great Thursday and that your week is going well so far. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today! See ya tomorrow for Things I’m Loving Friday!!
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I’m so glad he had a good first day of school! It is so bittersweet watching them grow. I marvel at the people my babies are coming but get a little sad that they are so big already. It happens so fast.
Exactly. It’s so wonderful and incredible to watch them become their own person but definitely tugs at the heartstrings!
Aw!! Those first day pics are adorable! Sadie’s face cracks me up – vizslas are really one-of-a-kind! Such hilarious little personalities 😉
That kale salad looks so yummy – I’m trying to make more of an effort to get more veggies into my diet!
I’m so happy to hear drop off and the first day went well!! I wonder who the school tries to prevent tears for the kids or moms lol! I’m not a huge kale fan since I think it can taste bitter, does that happen with the salad?
Ryan is the same way and he likes the salad best when it sits overnight in the dressing! I’d definitely prep it the day before you want to eat it because it helps remove some of the bitter taste and the chewier texture.
Do they kids have to be potty trained for 2 year preschool?
At our preschool the two year old class does not have to be potty trained but the three year old class does!
I just can’t get over Chase’s little wooden dog and am so happy to see he made it into his first day of school pictures! I feel like you guys will look back at these pictures when he’s older with such sweet memories!
I’m so glad Chase had a great first day!! After your “meet the teacher” post and instagram story update yesterday I was waiting to hear how the rest of his day went! It sounds like you and Ryan did a great job preparing Chase for preschool, what a great start 🙂
Way to go, Chase! I had such a hard time dropping my son at preschool, but he loved it! One of my favorite parts is hearing his stories about his day and friends. So sweet.
So glad you both had a great first day!
Awww congrats Chase and congrats Julie for making it through another milestone! My nephew has one of those little wooden dogs, it’s so cute he takes him EVERYWHERE!
Aww..love this post! And NO, our kiddos always feel like “our babies.” My two boys are now 11 and 13 and when I go in to wake my 13 year old up for football at 5:45 AM … I crawl in his bed and stroke his hair. Maybe weird to some and he’s bigger than me but I remember it like it was yesterday the Doctor play chest for the first time and cannot believe he is a teenager now. TIME FLIES!! It’s like you blink and another year goes by. Cherish every second!! Love and hugs, Julie!
Happy first day!! I’m glad he had a great first drop off. Adeline has been in daycare/school since she was 13 weeks and drop off is always tough on your heart 🙂
What a great first day! The pics are just so cute. Thanks for sharing this special milestone with your readers.
So glad he had a great first day! And they never stop feeling like your baby!! I have a 6, 4 and 18 month old…just wait for the end of the year programs ?? but it’s amazing to see them grow and learn so much!!
These photos are so precious! Hope Chase enjoys his preschool!
I think they will always feel like our babies! Ruthie is at a stage where she doesn’t want to be called a baby and tells all big kids “I not a baby!” and I slip up and say “‘night baby girl…” or something like that and she tells me she’s not a baby and I always remind her she “will always be my baby. Mommy is always allowed to call you my baby!” They want to grow up so fast, and in many ways we want them too as well. But they will always be our babies!
They ALWAYS feel like babies! My oldest is in 5th grade, and I nearly cried when I took pics of her recently because she reminded me so much of her younger self. ? I LOVE that my 2 year old son brings childlike wonder back into our lives in ways my 8 & 10 year old wouldn’t have cared much about otherwise (like pointing out cool rocks, buses & trucks, singing nursery rhymes, etc). Little ones are a constant reminder to appreciate the simple things, aren’t they?? ☺️
So true!! <3 I love the way it's so clear to see the love you have for your children from this simple comment. So sweet!!
I am so glad his first day went so well! Those pictures are absolutely adorable! 🙂 haha I love how much he loves that wooden dog!
Julie,
Sounds like the first day of school went so well!! I’m so glad.
Your group of friends sound so fun and you seem like a great friend.
This is so precious. I’m so glad Chase enjoyed his first day!
So precious! Glad he had a great first day of preschool!
What a big day for you as a Mom! Sounds like both you and Chase handled it like champs! 🙂
How awesome that Chase had such a terrific first day! If it makes you feel any better, we had a totally different experience when Drew went to 2 y/o pre-school. He went to my friend’s house (she was a teacher) to do his preschool and our goal for the first MONTH was for me to drop him off and leave without having him cry for a half hour! :O Thankfully, she was tremendously patient and only had 5 kids in her pre-school class. Talk about guilty… thankfully that behavior didn’t repeat with Evan! 😉
Enjoy your first year of school!
Those pics with him and the wooden dog are SO CUTE! I’m glad it sounds like everything went well for Chase (and for YOU!) You’re both champs!
I checked out your awesome kale salad on instagram stories, and it was so fun to see a video of you (in the car)! I never knew massaging kale was the secret. I have to admit that when I want greens, I gravitate towards spinach!
Great post as always – you always write about your world so well. I think we all get wistful when it comes to the passage of time (accentuated even more by children). Hope you have a great night!
Loved that Sadie was in the pic too! Yes, watching them grow up is always bittersweet. My son is 3 and it just seems like yesterday that he was a baby. I really do want to hit pause sometimes but it also brings me joy knowing that he loves the idea of growing up and learning new things. Congrats to Chase on his first day of school and to you for having a successful drop off. I know those are not easy!
Aw I’m glad he loved his first day! I can totally relate to how you feel about him going to preschool and feeling like he’s growing up. My son is the same age and lately I’ve found myself really cherishing our time together and appreciating the fact that he is still at an age that he wants to be with his mama all the time! You also reminded me of a book that my mom gave to me when I had my son. It’s called “If I Could Keep You Little.” I think you would love it! https://www.amazon.com/If-Could-Keep-You-Little/dp/1402272375
I have 2 middle sdhoolers and no, they never stop being your ‘babies’. Preschool is one of those big milestones that makes them seem like they are growing up too fast. Though, just last night we found an old video camera with videos of my kids at ages 2-6. While I loved seeing them at those ages (how were they ever that little and cute?), I really wouldn’t go back if I could. Each stage of kids keeps getting better. I have found I love seeing them developing closer to the adults they will someday be.
So glad to hear his first day went well. I dont’ have any kids of my own yet, but I teach in an elementary school. We have our 3 year olds and Pre-K starting next week. As a teacher it’s definilty easy to tell the kids that haven been to some type of program away from their parents and others that haven’t. So it’s great Chase is getting the experience early. I had a kindergardener yesterday that didn’t know his name, so sad.
his school has the mom transfer down to a
‘t’! we never carried our preschooler into the
building…oh, no! that is a big mistake! the teachers have seen it all and a quick transfer is so smart…for both parent and brand new teacher.
bravo to you for a terrific transition!
🙂
I still get teary eyed after my middle school daughters get on the bus in the morning. It sounds ridiculous, but I never like to see them go! They will forever be my babies!
My son has always been in some sort of childcare, but for the last 6 months, he was only with a sitter part-time in her house. I just took him back to full time daycare last week (he’s 1.5) and it was so sad, haha. He used to get so excited to go into daycare and now he cries, but he’s fine as soon as I leave. Still makes me sad! I think they’ll always be our babies! I definitely enjoyed having days at home with my son, but I also like having my adult time too! And half days go by SO fast! I did half days for a short period of time with him at daycare and I barely got a workout in and breakfast before I felt like I needed to hurry and go get him.