Thursday was a big day for Abby! She went to her new school for Kindergarten Orientation, where she met her teacher, Mrs. Shaw. Also pictured is class pet, Sydney, an iguana-type thing.
She explored her new classroom (they had a great scavenger hunt prepared to help the kids get to know their surroundings). Abby and I made sure she knew where the bathroom was and how to turn on the lights, faucet, etc. We also walked from the classroom to the library, cafeteria and playground to see how far she would be from all of these important areas. Abby wanted to know what everything said on the walls and she read much of it to me. When we were reading the jobs on the classroom helper board and came across some like "table washer" and "teacher's helper", she said, "Ooooh, these jobs are much more important than preschool!"
All of the kindergartners in Mrs. Shaw's class were asked to write their names when they got there, and since she can, Abby signed her whole name. She is very proud that she recently learned to spell "Schnittker." I think it's because she hears me spell it so often on the phone!
She met several very nice children who will be in her class, including this little boy, Amari, who as you can see is also a fan of the class pet!
After being in the class for a few minutes, Abby felt right at home. She was bouncing up and down with excitement ... which I
tried to capture on camera!
We thought joining all of the other kindergarteners from Roberts Elementary at Zoinks! (a place with nothing but bouncing machines) that night was a great idea. Abby (outfitted in her new Robert's t-shirt) had energy to spare, and she was very excited to hang out with her new friends. She can't WAIT until Monday for the first day of school.
After that, we sprinkled the "Jitter Glitter" Abby's teacher gave her outside the front door. Similar to the reindeer food we scatter on Christmas Eve, no? By the way, Jitter Glitter is to get rid of the jitters and help you sleep well the night before school starts.
And before they went to sleep, Abby and Tyler left their bookbags open hoping for a gift from the "Backpack Fairy!" I stole this idea from Family Fun magazine ... thought the kids would like it. And they did ... the Backpack Fairy did not disappoint. She left Abby a new dress to wear to school sometime this fall, and Tyler received a new book and a couple plastic bugs. I fessed up and told Abby the Backpack Fairy was me ... wish I hadn't, but I think she was with me when I purchased that dress. Darn! If I had talked it up a bit more, she might have left some cookies out on the mantle!
How nice it was of Lorie and Jenn to bring the girls (and Tyler too!) some little gifts to get them excited about school ... not that this is a problem. Tomorrow I'll add information and pictures of Abby's kindergarten-eve preparations! Oh my goodness ... these girls are so big. If my scanner was working (we weren't digital then!), I'd post a photo of Abby and Emily from almost exactly five years ago. You'd never believe how they've grown!
I had her count the money out and hand it to the cashier, then take the receipt and change. What a foreign concept ... usually she helps me swipe my American Express! 
