Will the Other Shoe Still Drop?

Today was day 2 of preschool for our Starr. This morning she told me that we were all coming to school with her today and I told her that I would be taking her but that I could not stay. I would come back just like I did on Monday. She looked a little befuddled but was OK with that answer.

When we got in the car and were driving to the school she asked me "What daddy, mommy and Ethan going to do today?" I informed her that Daddy had some meetings and Mommy was taking Ethan to the Doctor (actually the therapist but I say Dr. for her). I am sure that in her little mind she has visions of awesome parties going on in our home while she is attending school :) She then told me that she wanted to go with mommy and I told her that she could not go with us now as she was going to school but that later she would be with me again when I picked her up. That seemed to satisfy her.

When I got to the school and unloaded her from the car she happily put her backpack on and walked toward the school entrance with me. As we got close to the entrance we saw one of the little girls in Katie's class and her mom and twin 8 month old brothers. We met the family during the winter break when they were nice enough to invite us to their daughter's 3 year old birthday party. The mom greeted me while she was taking her daughter out of the car in front of the school. I guess she usually watches her daughter walk into the front of the school while she stands by the car which has her twin boys in it but this time she asked me if I would accompany her daughter to the classroom with Katie. I said sure and when I went to take her daughter's hand the little girl who I will call "E" became upset and started crying. I thought for sure that at this point Katie would start to freak too but NO...she was cool, calm and collected. I told mom to go on with her boys and took E in with Katie and told the teacher that E was a bit upset and they calmed her right away.

The teachers then proceeded to tell me how wonderful Katie had been the previous school day and that other than asking for mommy a couple of times was not upset at all. She even showed a few of the teachers some of the sign language that she knows (we signed with her when she first got home) I was happy to hear it and bent down to give her a hug and a kiss. She was obviously fine so I bid a hasty retreat. As I left I kept thinking that this was too easy and that I would get a call later that she was VERY upset and that I should pick her up.

That did not happen. When I went back after lunch to pick her up her teacher ran up to me to let me know that not only was she fine but it was as if she had always been there. She participated willingly in everything and that she was a delight. They were thrilled that she was in their class.

When she got in the car she happily told me about everything she had done that day and proceeded to exclaim; "Mommy...Katie is happy!! I was tickled pink. What came next really touched my heart though when as I lowered her out of her car seat she hugged me tight around my neck and said to me " Mommy...I missed you" I held her tight and told her that I missed her too as tears came to my eyes but that I was so happy that she was happy at school and wasn't it fun when we got to see each other again when school was done!

I think that we must be fortunate enough to have hit on the right time to place her in preschool and that she is just in a very secure place in her life right now. I may still be in for some drama with her but I am hoping not.

Oh man, I love this child so much it hurts sometimes.