‘Twas The Night Before Preschool

Y’all. SO. MANY. EMOTIONS. Nervousness, excitement, pride, joy, worry. My girl is going to her first day of preschool, and I CAN’T EVEN! Seriously, I’ve been running around the house like a mad woman—cleaning, blowing through to-do lists, hugging my children crazy tight at random. I am all over the place, and it’s because I know tomorrow is a really big day for US. She is literally only going to be in preschool for two mornings every week, and it feels like I am sending her off to college!

I KNOW, I KNOW…I can hear the roaring laughter of all of the veteran moms out there. They’re hitting me with the “wait, you’ll see” faces. I know. One day the first day of school is going to feel a lot differently than it does right now. One day we will be total pros at this. One day placing my children in trusting hands won’t make a big lump in my throat. Today isn’t that day. Today I am feeling all the feelings. I’ve never left her anywhere before. At church, she sits in the sanctuary with us. I can count on one hand the number of people who have ever looked after her. That hand count includes my mom, mother-in-law, and sister. I am not used to this. Call me a helicopter mom, but this is my reality. I am simultaneously worried  and excited!

Raegan loves to learn. I know that everyone says that about their kids, but it has always been true. She loves books, art, problem solving, and being my helper. She seeks to know more and more every single day. She is well-mannered and inventive. The questions are endless. Her brain is so full. She sometimes shocks me with how much she’s got in that curly head of hers. I 100% believe that she will thrive at her new school. I really do. Her teacher is lovely and well educated. Her curriculum based preschool program seems to match her learning style well. The playground is badass. Girlfriend is going to have a blast.

I know that seeing the excitement on her face is going to melt away my worry. I am really happy that me and my husband will be able to drop her off together. (I dreamt of this on our wedding day). I also feel overwhelmingly thankful that I have the choice of sending her to a great school a couple days a week. I can’t wait to hear about her day. Speaking of which, lets talk first day of school gear!

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TWO WORDS. Mary. Janes. I HAD to get my Raegan a pair of leather Mary Janes. My mama always had them for us in elementary school. They are so timeless. Kinda like anything OshKosh makes. Truly classic. The L’amour brand Mary Janes are well made, and they can withstand some rough play. Her dress is from The Gap and she loves to twirl it. The heat is still out of this world in North Carolina, so I wanted her to wear something that was breathable. I love the print and ruffle collar. I actually don’t remember where I got her massive striped bow, but I know that she absolutely needed it. It screams Raegan Noelle. She also has a purple L.L. Bean backpack, that just might be bigger than she is. It was my favorite birthday gift from her first birthday. I am hoping she wears it through high school. (Yea right, she’s gonna beg for a Doc McStuffins backpack soon enough!)

Raegan won’t be eating lunch at school, because she only attends for a couple of hours. They do have a snack time though, and I couldn’t help but have some fun with it. I got this adorable Boon Bento lunchbox that has a removable compartment, as well as a little ice pack/salad dressing/hummus/whatever you want container, that isn’t shown in the photo. I wanted something that could grow with her, and something that she could use for lunches out with me. It is lightweight, and easy for her to carry. I also love that the top has a silicone layer where you can slide in things like utensils, and mama’s lunch notes. Popcorn is probably Raegan’s favorite snack (we tend to gather over a giant bowl during family time). So, I air popped her some popcorn. I also included some heart shaped watermelon bites, and a couple of Trader Joe’s schoolhouse cookies. She actually says “R is for Raegan” every time she gets an R shaped cookie. Hopefully, I don’t get in trouble for sending too much for snack. Like her mama, my child likes to eat haha.

Teachers are my heroes. They do so much for our little ones. I couldn’t send Raegan to school without a treat for her teacher and teacher’s assistant. I got this darling little cookie box from Cookie Crime (the same bakery that did #ZariesFirstFiesta cookies. Once again, the talent it takes to create cookie art astounds me. I am hoping sweets, and a crate of extra classroom supplies will bring a smile to their faces.

Y’all know I had to have a chalkboard, right? I actually purchased this stand-alone chalkboard with this day in mind. It’ll be fun to watch it change each year. Doesn’t “Class of 2033” seem so far away? I am sure it’ll be here before I know it. I don’t ever want to forget her being this little.

I hope that my arms are always a place of refuge for her.
I hope that she knows how much her parents adore her.
I hope she knows that God is protecting her.
I hope she knows that no matter what she wears, or eats, that what’s most important comes from inside.
I hope that she is kind.
I hope that she listens.
I hope that she laughs.

SO. MANY. EMOTIONS.

XOXO, Shakira