Gracie has had a rough week at school.  Last Friday, she started crying before we left home, saying she didn't want to go.  She cried in car line at drop-off and wouldn't get out of the van.  I pulled into a parking space and convinced her to walk in and at least turn in her homework.  She did that but absolutely refused to stay.  Tears were just pouring down her cheeks.  She said she just wanted to stay with me and begged me to take her home.  It was pitiful.  We were leaving that afternoon to go to Louisiana for my father's memorial service, and I'd planned to check her out early anyway, so I just let her come home with me.  I probably should not have given in to her, but I can't stand for her to cry like that .

Steve took her to school on Monday; she was a bit reluctant to go but did get out of the car and walk in.  Tuesday, though, was a different story.  We had a rough morning and were all running late, so she was really upset before she and Steve even pulled out of the driveway.  Once she got to school, she wouldn't get out of the car.  So, Steve parked and walked her in.  She refused to stay in the classroom.  She was so upset that Steve had to bring her back home.  I sat down with her and explained that she didn't really have a choice - she had to go to school.  Luckily, I had a meeting that I HAD to go to that morning or I might have been a little more lenient with her (which I don't think would have been good for her).  After we talked for a few minutes, I convinced her to go and Abigail & I took her back to school and walked her in.  She clung to me for a few minutes, but finally her teacher came to the door and Gracie walked in, looking oh so little and sad.  My heart broke in a zillion pieces.  I wanted to scoop her up and run far far away.  I've entertained the idea of homeschooling her before, but that morning, I'd have gladly taken on that challenge.

On Wednesday, I instituted a few changes in our morning routine (no TV before school, a few minutes of talking time with Mommy before we get dressed, etc.) to see if it will help.  I've also given her the choice each morning to either go through car line or to have me walk her straight to her class.  So far, she's willingly gone to school each morning.  I hope that it continues, because I don't know if I can bear too many more days like Tuesday!

Yesterday, her class celebrated the 100th day of school.  I think Gracie totally enjoyed this.  They made the crowns that she's wearing in the top picture (which she pulled down to wear as non-functioning glasses ).  And they got to do a drawing of what they remembered about their first 100 days.  Here's Gracie's:




I asked her to explain all the drawings.  She said the first one was her first day of school when she got to play in the little kitchen and slide on the playground.  The middle one is going to art class and her giving me the candlestick she made me (this is a little bit of a creative memory, because she didn't actually give me the candlestick that she supposedly made for me at Christmas; she decided at the last minute to keep it for herself ).  And the final picture is when she rode on a school bus to go to the Children's hospital and deliver presents to the little patients.  There were no pictures of her sobbing because she missed me or didn't want to go to school, so apparently, this week doesn't seem to be hanging a dark cloud over her first year of school.  I think she really has enjoyed her first 100 days and I'm hopeful that she'll enjoy the rest of the year, too!