The first day of daycare

I have a little less than two weeks left before I head back to work.  It's bittersweet.  I love what I do. I'm very lucky that I work in an industry that I'm extremely passionate about.  We make a difference for people.  There is no question that I want to keep working.  However, the thought of leaving MacKenzie is brutal.  I've had my share of tears over the past few evenings.  The guilt mounts. 

I've had some good advice from friends that I should do a dry run or two.  Today was the day.  I had a meeting that I wanted to attend.  So, MacKenzie spent her first couple of hours in daycare.  As hard as it was, it was a great experience.  They had a sign up for MacKenzie welcoming her to her first day.  Her teacher was extremely welcoming and helpful to me.  I didn't know the "tricks" and routines. I didn't know where to put things.  She eased me in.  She assured me that my little girl would be okay.  She had warm arms for MacKenzie when I left and she was holding her close when I returned. 

I cried when I pulled away.  I called my husband and he reassured me that we were doing the right thing.  She's going to make friends. She's going to be well socialized.  I dried my tears and headed to my meeting.

It felt good to be at work.  I felt like myself.  The time went quickly.  I started to look forward to our plans for 2011.

It was a good idea to do a dry run.  The daycare asked me if I would be bringing MacKenzie back again this week.  I hesitated and said "no."  I'm going to enjoy the rest of our time together.  It's short and will go by fast.  I will be a little bit more prepared when the "official" day back comes.