First day of FIRST GRADE!

It is kind of killing me to have a child at school ALL DAY! It wasn't that bad until I started thinking over the weekend about the fact that she will be spending WAY more of her awake time with somebody else than she will with me. I am also having a hard time swallowing the fact that I have her for lunch on weekends and summers...from now on. That means that my influence better have been good up to this point, 'cause from here on out the world is going edge in and I am not going to have as much control. I hope that I did well enough. She is such a good girl by nature, and I was so blessed to have such an angel to practice on. She knows right from wrong, and I know that. I just hope that she will always be my strong little princess! I miss her already!

Tori was THRILLED to have Ms. Carla for her teacher this year. Her two older cousins both had Ms. Carla for first grade and she was holding her breath all summer waiting for her class assignment. She has been so excited to go that I thought that maybe I was the only feeling a little anxiety. Late last night, after a blessing, and heading to bed she snuck back down the stairs with tears in her eyes. I wasn't the only one nervous. I held her and kissed her, and told her how fun first grade would be. This morning she was all smiles...not a tear in sight. We took all the traditional first day of school pictures...

...at home

...at school

...with her cousins

...with her best friend/cousin (they look SO much older this year than they did last year!)

...with her teacher

...with a friend from her kindergarten class...she was hoping so much that Malak with be in her class!

Then I got home from dropping her off, and found out what I was going to have to expect from the ones that aren't in school...Owen...good luck, man!