Yesterday was such an unexpected good day. It was the first day back to school in two weeks, since last Monday was a holiday. It started off horribly. Even the night before was horrible. Every time I mentioned going to school, Bug would well up with tears. She saw me packing her lunch and started crying. She saw me getting out her school clothes and she started crying. In bed at night as we prayed for a good day at school, she started crying. All the next morning it was tears tears tears…it ripped my heart out.

I don’t want to teach her that she can cry and throw a fit to get her way but these tears of sadness really made me second-guess my decision to put her in school so young. Does she really need it? I’ve heard so many arguments on both sides of the fence. I feel like I’m getting blisters from riding the middle of the fence like a bucking bronco. What to do, what to do…

But we toughed it out and went to school anyway.

Luckily for me, one of my friends was visiting the school yesterday. She was observing to see if she wanted to put her daughter in Bug’s class. I didn’t know you could do that or I would have signed up too. I didn’t even know my friend was there until later she emailed me several photos of Bug in class having the time of her life.

There was Bug in the middle of music class smiling from ear to ear as she beat a bowl with a spoon. There was Bug sitting with her classmates all lined up in a row, listening to storytime with rapt attention. There she was on the playground going down the slide with confidence. There she was on the teeter-totter playing with her buddies. Every picture was of Bug having fun and none of them were posed.

Bug likes school. I have proof now. I’d include the photos but I need to protect the privacy of the other children so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Then after school we stuck around to play on the massive playground they have and chat with another mother who is a friend of mine. When it was finally time to leave Bug waved to the playground. “Bye preschool!” she said. “See you next Monday!”

Does that sound like someone who is too young to go to preschool? I don’t think so. In fact this morning she woke up and asked if we were going to school today. I had to tell her no. Now she’s crying because she wants to go to school. I know you guys all told me she’d come around. I just didn’t know it was going to be like this.