first day of kindergarten

Photographed with Nikon D300, 24-85mm lens.

Today is Alex's first day of kindergarten, at her new public school. It's been very difficult to say goodbye to the fabulous Montessori school that Alex has been attending for the past two years (I ain't gonna lie: there were tears, not the least of which were from both me and Alex's teacher), but all indications are that her new school has a wonderful reputation, so nowhere but up, baby.

So this morning, we got Alex all dressed up in her new back-to-school dress, packed a notebook and pencils in her new back-to-school backpack, lunch in her new back-to-school lunch bag, and juice in her new back-to-school Hannah Montana thermos, and headed out.

For the first two weeks of school I get to walk Alex directly to her classroom, thank heavens. When I left her at her new little desk, she was clearly nervous, but ready. We'd met her teacher last Friday, and she seems really lovely; we met a couple of Alex's classmates that day, as well, and they also seem sweet (and just as nervous as she is).

So here's hoping that Alex falls in love with her teacher, and makes at least one friend today. I think odds are in her favour: over the weekend, she lost another of her teeth -- one of the majors -- which I have to think ups her cool factor considerably.