Back to School! 1st Grade

Ready for his first day of 1st grade.

Confident and ready for a new year.

My big first grader -toothless and all.

Ben is back to school!! He's now in the 1st grade! I can't believe it, but I have said "I can't believe it" every year. He's grown so fast.
Sunday, he and Kade got their back to school blessings like they've gotten every year. That always helps me know they are going to be fine.
Today went off pretty well -only one minor hitch of locking my keys in the house. (thankfully Aunt Nattie works five minutes away and was able to come use her key to open the door.)

Ben had laid his clothes out the night before; he even put his socks in his new shoes. (This kid is so on the ball.) He woke up before his alarm went off, and he was awake and dressed before the other boys were up. I was able to go over all his supplies with him, get him breakfast, and talk to him one on one for awhile. I needed that. He was so relaxed and excited, yet I was trying hard not to show my own nervousness. This is my first born people! And, he's going off to school, all day, eating lunch there, going to five different classes with five different teachers (like jr.high or high school schedule) and he's riding bus. It's crazy! I wish I could be a fly on his shoulder just to be there while still letting him go. (more for my sake than his.)
I drove him to school today and, as a great blessing, we ran into his best friend  heading into school. Ben is always thrilled to see his friend, and it made the morning all the more exciting. Hopefully they'll have a class or two together -or at least lunch and recess. :)
I'm more than grateful for the awesome school Ben gets to attend. I know that he will thrive this year. Even with all the butterflies I have, I feel calm about where he is and what he'll be learning. Having a kid in school this way is a whole new routine and a whole new world. But, it's exactly what we need. I'm excited for the year to come.