1st Day in the 1st Grade

 

What do you remember about 1st grade?  

Me?  I remember being devastated to find out that the snack and naptimes from Kindergarten days came to an end. 

I remember that being the year that a certain  bully/snob girl got swats for throwing my hat on top of a filing cabinet.  Sweet justice.  

I distinctly remember sitting on the carpet at circle time and watching a classmate pick their nose and eat its contents for the entire story time.  Yep, it was that traumatic.  To this day, I can’t even read that book to my kids without hearing “boogers, boogers, boogers” over and over in my head. 

I also remember losing my first tooth and for the first time in my short life,  feeling awkward when others pointed out I shouldn’t be playing with the boys so much.  

What will she remember about first grade? 

 

I hope she remembers her first day and how special it all felt.   How she picked out her own outfit from the store with such excitement after having only worn school uniforms in the past.

I hope she remembers the thrill she felt when she saw her new school in her new town with her new backpack in tow.

 

Just like last year, she worried a little about how her little brother would make it through the day without her.   Maybe I did, too.  But he did.  And I did.   And her dad did.  

Just like last year, I shed  a few tears, but after picking her up and hearing the stories from her adventurous first day, I knew she was going to be okay.   The second day, I cried not a drop.

Everyday I get to hear about all the games she plays with her friends at recess.  The girls AND the boys (yay, BOYS!).   She tells me all about snack (yay, SNACK!) and usually, she tucks a bit of it deep down in the pockets of her backpack to bring home and share with her  little brother.

 

I have no doubt she will make great memories this year.   There may be tears and booger eaters, and  hat-throwing bullies ahead, but I know my girl, and she is going to make the best of 1st grade.