too cool for school

Since I went back to work when Lila was four months old, she has stayed two days a week with a wonderful lady named Tammy at her home daycare. She was amazing for our baby, loving her, teaching her, helping her grow from a baby to a toddler. We loved knowing Lila was safe in Tammy's home, being taught to sit up, then crawl, then walk with her Tammy-Momma to celebrate with her at every milestone. But in the last few months, we felt it was time for Lila to move to an educational center where she could have more interaction with kids in her age group. We were also ready to have her a little closer to our house, since Tammy's daycare was 30 minutes from our home and work. 

So we said goodbye to Miss Tammy last week after a year at her home. We will miss her and I know Lila will be excited for our playdates at her house every now and then! Today was Lila's first day at her new daycare, The Goddard School, which is an educational center that has centers throughout the country. They focus on teaching skills through different activity centers and a focus on flexibility and fun (duh, who doesn't like to play?). 

Getting Lila ready for her new "school" was totally overwhelming as there are five million forms, medical releases, labeling of all her extra clothes and food items, etc. I totally had a freak out moment where I felt like she was actually going off to start her school year and you guys, she is only eighteen months old! She still drinks her milk sippy cup next to me in bed every morning while watching Fresh Beats Band. And then two seconds later she is sharing her toys with Andrew and giving me an annoyed hand wave while I try to kiss her goodbye. I am so five minutes ago. 

To prepare for her big day, we got our first haircut last night from Auntie KT to trim up her bangs that keep falling in her eyes. Which I then collected and put into a ziplock which my sister labeled "creepy". 

 

I packed up her little lunch of whole wheat pita slices, steamed carrots, sliced strawberries, string cheese and a Trader Joe's Apple Banana Crusher (her favorite snack EVER!) I ordered these adorable cup and plate labels for Lila from Cherry Hill Designs. This is not a sponsored post but boy, do I think they are super cute and they totally stay on and do not fade in the dishwasher. 

We had to pick her perfect first first day of school outfit. Which of course had to match her new cupcake backpack. And the Grinch. 

Her day was amazing, minus the first hour of the day when she apparently sat with her Grinch and pacifier crying and watched the other kids play. Until it was snack time. And then all was right with the world. She played hard outside and didn't want to come in from their super cool playground. She made a painting with her handprints. Fell asleep in under a minute during nap. And tried to trade her string cheese for a little boy's chicken at lunch...obviously. We celebrated with pizza dinner for a successful first first day of school. The first of many first days to come. 

We don't need no education, We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom, Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone 

~"Another Brick In the Wall" by Pink Floyd