new year, new beginnings

Both my babies started day care this week at a C&K kindergarten near our home.  As expected, I had very mixed feelings about it all.

For Lola, I knew it would seem scary at first (she's never been to day care before), but I also knew it would be a fun environment full of kids and crafty activities that she would ultimately revel in.

For Andrew, I worried less about how he would cope because he's still so young, and is such a content little guy that the transition would/should be fairly smooth.

For myself, I must admit I was looking forward to 2 days without having to be solely responsible for the kids, even if I did have to work for most of the time. I was excited about the challenge of returning to work, and being in contact again with adults :) But I was also confident that the kids would be ok. I hoped that we'd taught them enough social etiquette to survive, but most of all I prayed that the word 'bum cracker' never came out of Lola's mouth..

At the end of their first day, Si and I picked them up together. Andrew charmed his carers (of course) and they thought he was just gorgeous. And Lola had a fantastic day with only a few tears in the afternoon after she woke up from her afternoon sleep (no doubt wondering where she was?). The only issue of the day was something I did wrong - packing Lola a peanut butter sandwich which she wasn't allowed to eat because of the centre's rules regarding peanuts and allergies. I apologised profusely (there is a kid in Lola's room with a peanut allergy) and won't make her peanut butter sandwiches again (I promise!).

I was so proud of both of them.  It's nice validation when other people think your kids are ok :)

Lola's sleep sack (passed down so generously from Eliza, and pony-ified by me)

the only pony that lola took with her to kindy (it was to help her go to sleep)

Labelling everything the night before (I had to sticker over George's name - the original shoe owner!!)

the kindy bags, the lunch bags, the nude food containers, the sticky labels.. it was never ending..

the morning finally arrived, and this was the best shot I could get of the two of them just before we left

my sweet, beautiful, confident, funny, cheeky, pony-lovin' 3 year old daughter.