first day of school. 12.

Oh hi!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, YA'LL!! (for the Cutest Cutes anyway...pre- and pre-pre school) The BoyCute 4 year old was going to his second year of pre-school and the GirlCute 2 year old was in her first alone-for-a-few-hours class EVER! Woo hoo! There was a little bit of crying, though mostly I think it had to do with the fact that OTHER kids were crying and they all just play copy-cry...but GUYS! TANTALIZE time! It was the first time that I've ever brought kids to their first day of school that weren't in my own family.

Their mother came with, and the BoyCute old was fine, went into the classroom with no problems. The usually incredibly social and talkative GirlCute lost her smile, wouldn't say a word, and was clingy with her mom for a good ten minutes. I suggested that she (Mom) wait in the hall and I'd stay with GirlCute for a few minutes and get her distracted. While she was clingy with me for a few minutes, as soon as I introduced her to the painting set (and her in her white dress, of course), she was distracted and I slipped out the door.
When I went to pick her up, she ran out and gave me the biggest leg hug I've ever gotten from her and chattered about that she'd had a great time and her new friends are very nice and she played some sort of beaver game. I have no idea what that means but I'm assuming it's innocent and apparently she's excited to do it again on Friday. BoyCute had a nice day as well, greeting me with a request for lemonade and was sweating from running around on the playground with a sweater vest on (why he didn't just take it off I have no idea).

We had traditions when I was growing up on the first day of school that involved taking a mug shot (photo) in front of a painting of our house in the front hallway. Every year we'd look back and along with seeing our various fashion faux pas, we also got to see how we'd grown or what year we got a new back pack or whatever. I got to take a photo with the Cutes on their front step (even though they were a little nervous and not smiling as much as usual) and I must say, some days are longer than others, and sometimes I get down on myself thinking "why am I cleaning a playroom with an MFA under my belt", but more often than not it's a pretty sweet job...and I hope I get to take another photo with them next year.

do i need to tickle monster you guys to get'cha to smile??

BoyCute happy. GirlCute nervous.

How did you TANTALIZE today?