Matney goes to preschool!

Matney started preschool Thursday at Creekside Christian Academy. The night before school started I finally decided not to be "that mom" that had Miss M all dressed up and looking just like I wanted but not how she wanted. She'd already picked out her own kitty cat lunch box and I returned the pretty pink one I planned to monogram. Then, an hour before they closed, we ran into Stride Rite and she picked out new tennis shoes (not her silver loafers she normally wears with dresses that are super cute but not playground friendly). And then as she got dressed for school I gave her several options, knowing she'd pick the elephant outfit and not the dress with ruffles that I wanted. Big sigh. Why is it at two I am already having to give up some control and let her grow up???? Isn't she still just a baby?
When we left for school that morning she loved her outfit and was very proud of her kitty cat lunchbox. She kind of reminded me of the "old people mall walkers" that wear their normal clothes with tennis shoes. HA! She was beautiful and excited!












The school has a camera system in the rooms (no audio) so we were able to peek in via the web and check on her a few times. We saw her color, play dolls and get rocked in the teacher's lap. She was crying when we picked her up but quickly calmed down in the car. I asked her what she did in preschool and she said, "I cried at preschool." (talk about breaking a parent's heart!). Then I asked her "why did you cry?". And after thinking hard for a minute she finally said, "I needed my Daddy.". SNIFF, SNIFF, SNOOOORT! Gracious, child, way to make your parents cry...and then wrap Daddy around your finger a little more. Pretty sure Jared would have stopped to buy her a pony on the way home had she asked for one!

She has been ready to go to school since we toured the school months ago so I haven't been too worried about how she'd do. Originally we were going to wait another year before thought about school but she loves other kids and loves learning so much. We watched her play with "big kids" one weekend, I don't remember where, and Jared brought preschool back up that night. We toured some schools and made the decision to send her two days a week from 9am-1pm. She will eat lunch at school and get home just in time for the girls to take a nap. Lovely! However, I don't know what I will do with HK for 8 hours a week. HK loves her sister, does not take a morning nap anymore and is not easy to handle by herself! If Matney was my only child I could only dream about all the things I could get done with eight hours alone. Instead, the three Heald girls have to figure out how to be out of the house, on time, before 8am for the first time ever. And then I have to occupy HK and learn a new routine. Not an easy task! In some ways this is not the easiest change we've ever made but we totally believe it is will be wonderful for Matney. Just look at these pictures. She is such a happy girl and growing up so quickly.