Making a break for the broccoli and cheese

Yesterday was Sam's first day of nursery.  It was awesome.

Today Reese registered for Kindergarten.  It was. . .  illuminating..

We almost made it home without incident.  Almost.  I'd let Sam out of his stroller to play with the toys and books they had out for little siblings while Reese completed her assessment, so when she finished and came back I turned around to put Sam back in the stroller.  An instant later, my peripheral vision spotted her pink coat mingling with a line of first graders headed down the hall.

I looked up and sure enough, she'd wiggled her way right into their line and was following the teacher in an orderly fashion toward the lunchroom.

AHH!!  I thought.  I still hadn't finished buckling Sam in, the hall was filled with tiny students, and my soon-to-be-kindergardener was marching farther away by the second.  I snapped Sam in and took off down the hall- leaving my surely bewildered baby behind- dodging parents, kids and teachers.  I finally caught up and squeezed through a doorway filled with Reese's new-found classmates.  I noticed the teacher turned around several times to make sure his class was following, and I wondered how he could have missed the little girl that was a full head shorter than the rest of the line and decked out in complete snow attire.  Hmm. . . one of life's little mysteries, I guess.

I buzzed my way up to the front and snatched Reese by the hood just before she helped herself to a tray and silverware.  'Mom,' she complained, 'It's lunchtime- and I'm in school now!!'

Part of me waited for the Kindergarten Cop cry of Stranger! as I pulled her away and we hightailed it back to our patient little brother; fortunately, that film was before their time.  We gathered the rest of our belongings, ignored the looks from other mothers wondering where I'd been and why I left my child unattended, and headed for the door.

Needless to say, I'm not too worried about Reese feeling out of place or nervous her first day; I'm more concerned she'll hop a school bus bound for the outer reaches of Cache Valley, meet a nice family with a swingset and a pet cow and disappear forever.  All because she's in school now, and that's just what you do.