There's no crying in Preschool

So, I lied when I said I was homeschooling. Well, not exactly. The preschool I wanted to enroll Scotty into was full until just this week. I was actually at the park last Tuesday with Scotty exploring, as part of our first-day-of-homeschooling activity when I received the call that one child dropped the class and Scotty was next in line. So of course, this being a preschool offered through our church, I jumped at the opportunity. So much for homeschooling....

I attended the parent-only orientation that evening and was so impressed with the teacher, the program, the classroom. Everything! It's just what I imagine preschool would be for my child. We were even issued a school supply list - so exciting! I rushed right over to Walmart after the meeting to get all that was required. I was so giddy, it was pathetic, as if it were MY first day of school!

Thursday was the big day. I made Scotty an extra special breakfast and had his first-day-of-school-outfit all primped and hanging in his closet. I even put mousse in his hair for crying out loud (do I need to get a life?!?!)! We arrived at 9 AM sharp and the moment I realized this wasn't going to go as smoothly as I'd hoped was when Scotty latched onto my leg as if he were falling down a cliff. He would not leave my side and I really didn't think I was going to get out of there without dragging him behind me. Each student had their very own seat at a table with play-doh set out, but Scotty wouldn't sit. The teacher wanted to take pictures of each student to put on their placemats, but Scotty wouldn't have it. I somehow managed to sneak away from him and get out the door without him following me, but it was heartbreaking because he just watched me leave with those big blue puppy dog eyes and then proceeded to stand in the corner of the room for a long while after I left. Little did he know, I actually hung out in the hallway, out of sight, with the other parents and peeked in on him. I heard the teacher ask him if she could take his picture and he gave her a flat out "No". I was mortified. I also realized that I had forgotten my own camera (hmm...maybe next time less mousse and more organization....), so I didn't get any pictures of my own. Thus, the picture posted above is the one shot the teacher was able to take. I think it's a good indication of the mood of the day. When I came to pick him up two hours later, he was doing fine and sitting with the group on the floor, but I learned that he had a meltdown soon after I left and had to be taken to another room along with the only other crying child until they quieted down. NICE. That made me so proud! Needless to say, the first day didn't go so well, but hopefully things will get better as he gets more comfortable. It's tough being a preschooler.