Jamie went to kindergarten again--only this time it is a different one.

The kindergarten is a ten-year-old school half-surrounded by rows of tall trees standing straight like soldiers guarding the school.

On the campus, there is a grassy hill, a spacious playground, a white sandpit, and a swimming pool.

The main building is a two-story one with the teachers' office, the kitchen, and the classrooms inside.

Jamie's first day of school was like a dream come true, for she had been waiting for it for a long time.

She got up early that morning and urged me to drive her to school.

After I walked her to the classroom, thinking whether I should stay with her for a while, she just told me to go home. How independent!

The second day was another story.

She became a lot more timid and was reluctant to stay in the classroom by herself.

However, things went quite well with the teacher's help and guidance, except that she was not used to taking a nap after lunch.

Taking a nap was a challenge for Jamie.

Lying in her brandnew Winnie-the-Pooh sleeping bag, sometimes she pretended she was sleeping;

sometimes she sobbed; sometimes she thought she was pretending, and then did fall asleep!

During these two weeks, Jamie was highly interested in all kinds of classes.

She listened attentively, participated with enthusiasm, and interacted with the teachers as well as her classmates.

Jamie enjoyed playing outdoors more than staying inside the classroom, though.

Her eyes brightened when she saw the swings, the slides, the seesaws, and the monkey bars.

She was full of pep!

The day she got a new schoolbag and a new lunch bag she seemed extra excited, for she thought she now became a "real" kindergartener.

Now and then she still made a fuss, saying that she wanted to come home after lunch.

As a mom, I really hope that she goes to school because she likes it, not just because she has to.

As a teacher, I expect her to learn something new each day and find learning a joyful experience rather than a must-do.