School days

Today preschool started up again. Finally! Maymuna has been asking about school and her schoolmates since we returned to Minn in JULY. Last night she slept with her trusty Thomas the Tank backpack by her side. This is the same girl who wept giant crocodile tears a year ago!! What a change. Of course there were still plenty more crocodile tears to go around today, as Hafsa joined us at the community center and had her first experience sans maman, in a preschool/daycare setting. I don't want to divulge any specifics about their school on the internet, but let's just say I'm glad that we're taking it slow and Hafsa has plenty of time to get accustomed to everything. And I'm right down the hall, exactly ONE room away. And that's the room that Maymuna's in. (see, it's like letting go, but not really...)

Maymuna had fun and LOVED seeing all her friends again. The children and moms from last year enjoyed each other so much last year we agreed to sign all our kids up for the next level up this year, so just about every face is a familiar face, which I'm sure puts Maymuna even more at ease. She packed her own backpack, which she proudly wore in and out of the school... Contents include: 3 Berenstain Bears books, 5 sheets of blank white paper, 1 Curious George pencil, 1 stuffed panda bear (thank you Grandad) and 1 packet of saltine crackers. The paper and pencil together constitute what she calls her "homework".


We packed Hafsa a small backpack too. Contents: 2 diapers, 1 packet of wipes and 1 small stuffed cat named "Meow", courtesy of Grandad once again (there was a stuffed animal frenzy this summer, I'm telling you).


Maymuna is beaming in just about every photo. Hafsa looks anxious but she's not really. That's because at this point she still had NO CONCEPT of what was about to happen. She was actually ecstatic because she got to wear a backpack just like her big sister. She looks nervous because she is chewing on the index finger of BOTH hands here. She's teething in a big way...


So off we went and we all survived (thank God). I must admit to being totally and completely drained, but I think I still haven't recovered from the weekend and the sleepless night we had yesterday due to those darn teeth. I'm really proud of both my girls though. They are growing up (despite my orders) and while it's tempting to be sad, I can't help but cheer for them every brave new step they take...