1st Day of "School"

The girls started their new part-time 3 year-old program at a local church today. I'm so very excited to be able to send them to this program for MANY reasons! Obviously, I will get a 4 hour break, 4 mornings a week. THIS.... IS.... AMAZING!!!!  FREEDOM!!! I'm also so excited for them to learn and grow in a different environment, and I know it will be very good for them too! The church is within walking distance from our house, so here are a few pics of Matt and me taking them this morning. (Isn't it sweet that their daddy arranged to be an hour late to work so he could take his little girls to school?! Love that guy...)

Ally was the first one done with breakfast, so I remembered to get a picture of her by herself! Unfortunately, that's all I remembered to take of single pics.

Izzy, Abby and Ally on the front porch (I plan to take a pic in this place, every first day of school, all the way up!)

Daddy and Papaw built a gate, so we can just go right through the backyard and walk every morning!

The girls sat down in their assigned seats, and got right to work next to Kale. Andi Mae (in yellow) greeted each of my girls with a sweet hug! No one cried... although I had a few strange wet things forming in my eyes... I think it was a combination of excitement and pride. I'm definitely not sad!!!

Here's a pic of a few others in the girls class (Cooper is in the red shirt). There are 12 kids total.

Their teacher's name is Miss Stephanie, and they already seem to be very comfortable with her. It's a good day!

8/21/2012 Update: The girls didn't shed ONE TEAR yesterday! I don't know if it was the fact that we've been talking about school for three months, or the fact that they've visited the classroom a few times, but they were little troopers! I was really surprised, because Izzy has really been struggling with the transition time between Sunday School and Wee Church. They weren't crying when I dropped them off this morning, either! I think this is going to be so good for them!!!

Here's a pic of them this morning, showing off their new backpacks...

Here they are on the back porch, ready to walk over.

Cheeeese.... mommy, can we go now?!

Everyone keeps asking me what I'm going to do with all my extra time.... I have LOTS of plans! Matt thinks it's so funny, because he says, "It took you all of one day to find a Tuesday morning book club to join!" Actually, it's a group of stay-at-home moms (4 of them are my cousins), and they've been meeting for years... reading Christian or Parenting books, and discussing. I think it's mostly an excuse to get together and drink coffee though! I'm going in just a few minutes... Fun fun!

Also, my grandma encouraged me to send the girls' pic in to Channel 6 news, since they were showing pics of kids going back to school. I haven't seen it yet, but apparently they were on the news this morning. I asked them to mention that the girls are the great grandkids of Paul and Minnie Sherman, since they're the ones that watch the news. Although they have 20+ other great grandkids they're proud of, I was hoping it might make their day to get credit for these little cuties!

Can you tell I'm giddy with my new found freedom?! I seriously had the MOST productive day yesterday, and I enjoyed my girls SO much more, just having a few hours away.  Off I go! I've got coffee to drink, and have book clubs to attend! LOL!