It's Time for Kindergarten...sob...

That's right - it's time for Kindergarten already.  Over the past six years I have watched conversations on the triplet mom forums detail different policies about keeping multiples together or splitting them up when it came time for elementary school, but it turned out not to be a negotiable item - the principal's policy is that they are placed in separate classes whenever possible.

The week before school started, we had a meeting with the teachers to discuss concerns about how their experiences will reflect their siblings' and how I should expect to get information.  Caroline got to practice how to pronounce her teacher's name, which is a little challenging; Max learned that his class meets in the room Uncle used to teach in; and Daniel got to meet his teacher, who he described as "the young one".  On Friday before school they had a new family orientation and the kids went with Uncle and Daddy (Mommy had to go to work) where they got to check out their classrooms and take a tour of the school.

Sunday night, I packed three lunches, complete with snacks and fruit and beverages.

Then on Monday morning, it was time to really go to school.  Uncle and Wendy came over to meet us and we set out together to walk the ten or so blocks to school (assuming parking might be tight in the vicinity).  

On the way there, Max complained that he was hungry (even though he'd had breakfast), so we stopped at a cafe and got an interesting assortment of yogurt, watermelon, and peach nectar to bolster them for their last few blocks.

And then we were in the yard at school, where we met Daddy and went looking for Boppy and Grandma.

Daniel grabbed Daddy's hand and headed off to the south side of the yard to find his line while Max and Caroline dragged the rest of us over to their side.  

Max was a little hesitant about school and was the most upset about having to split up from his siblings and he asked me to walk with him and hold his hand.  Luckily, his line is right next to Caroline's so we got to stay close together.

A little after the bell rang, the principal stepped up to the mic and made some welcome back announcements, then led the children in the Pledge of Allegiance and an additional self-esteem/good scholar pledge.  Then it was time to march in to class.  Max started tearing up at this point and gripped my hand a little more tightly.  So instead of waving good-bye as the line started to walk away, I walked with him to the door.  Just outside the door, he looked up at me and said, "It's OK Mommy, I'm ok.  It's just that my eyes are dripping a little and my throat kind of hurts.  But I'll be OK."

Awwww....

After school, they went to an on-site after school program run by the YMCA and I came and picked them up around 5:00.  Daniel saw me and ran to hug me, telling me excitedly that he gets to go to have recess with Max and Caroline.  Then Max told me very seriously that he had met a bully who looked right in his face and teased, "you're a BABY!"  I asked Max what he'd done in response and he said, "I told him, 'I'm not a baby, I'm in KINDERGARTEN!'"  Good answer!

They came home with folders bursting with homework in the form of official forms for me to complete and sign.  They also had a page on which they had to draw a picture of what happened in their first day.  Max and Caroline had done theirs in the after school program, but Daniel had to do his at home.

Caroline decided to draw a picture of the outside of the school, as seen from the yard.

When I looked at Max's drawing, I saw a little Batman separated from another Batman and a little girl by obstacles and I was very sad that he had seen his day this way.  But in the morning, he assured me that it was a white tiger and a bunny rabbit having a party with a kid. (I also love that he did his homework upside down.)

Daniel, by doing his at home, was able to use crayons.  On Monday night, he drew his teacher with her hand raised, pointing to the number "4".  (In the morning, he added himself to the picture, also raising his hand to get called on for number "4".)

And then it was time to get ready for Day 2 of school!  Just 179 more to go...