The Divine Miss M, First Grader

Well, here we are. Five weeks into first grade.

The girl loves school. She loves reading and music and math and writing and art and lunch and recess and PE and EVERYTHING.

She's already been sick with a cold and had to miss a day - which she referred to as a 'tragedy'.

I've been walking her in in the mornings. Despite her quick wit and excellent vocabulary that poor girl can't navigate a two hallway one story building to save her little life. She can find Russia and Japan on a map but find her classroom in the morning? No way.

The weather has been so lovely so far this school year. A little fall chill in the air and with a sunny day after. The doors have been propped open in the morning. I assume to get some fresh air in and clear out the smell of little beasts. Oh, it should be noted that at 39 pounds, the doors on the front of the school are heavier than she is and if they're closed, there is essentially no way she could open them alone.

When we walk in, we hold hands in the parking lot and then once in the building I try to stay behind her while she, by herself, navigates herself to the before school program without help. She's getting better. She can make it in, turn right and then left.

So, now with the weather still so nice and the doors open, I've started asking her if she'd just like to walk herself in. She can get into the building and make it to the room.



Her response has been, 'no' so far. And then, this morning, I had a terrible thought.



One of these mornings, she's going to say yes.