School

Well, here I am in the relative peace of my empty home. All my kids are at their respective schools.

Aimee set her alarm clock and was therefore up at 6:15 this morning. She went and played somewhere quietly until Jack woke up on his own around 7. They were both pretty excited about school. The got dressed voluntarily, and without fuss. Aimee looked adorable in her pleated skirt and her sweater. Jack's first day outfit was a little too warm for the weather, so he chose a Hot Wheels t-shirt. He even washed his face. As we were out in the front for pictures, the neighbours came out to exclaim on how cute they were. Jack proudly announced, "I'm going to Kindergarten today!" to anyone who would listen.

They posed, reluctantly, for pictures in the front yard. Unfortunately, the deadbeat across the street parked his stupid car right behind the tree, so we have it in some of the pictures, but Trevor managed to find angles that worked. Then we walked to the school. They posed going up the front steps and then we went around to the playground to find friends. Jack started chewing his finger and clingin when we got back there. Aimee played chase with the boys. When the bell rang, Jack clung harder, and the lip came out and the eyes started to water. Unlike Aimee, though, he went voluntarily when the teacher offered her hand, and by the time he went into the school, he was smiling and waving. I heard the teacher tell him his buddy AJ was inside the classroom, not having a good morning, and she needed Jack to help cheer him up. He was all over that. In the pictures, you can see Jack's teacher hoisting him up to wave at us before they went in.

Next, Aimee's class went in. She is no longer the smallest in the class. She marched confidently up the steps and disappeared into the school with barely a wave. A completely different kid from Kindergarten, when they peeled her off me and dragged her, crying, into the school. She is definitely a kid who thrives on the known. For her, it's picking up where she left off in June.

All that was left was a group of lost and forlorn, childless parents, standing around the school yard. We all kind of looked at each other and said, "Well, ok, I guess we leave now". I didn't see any adult tears, but I bet a few hearts were breaking.

I have a bit of a moment when Jack started to cry, but I know this is exactly what he needs to snap him out of his miserable stage, so it was not so heartbreaking for me to see my smallest go to kindergarten as I thought it might be. He is so ready, I probably should have sent him last January for an extra half year. The only other thing that made me stop a bit is the thought of him eating lunch in the chaotic gym, with the group of the smallest people. He knows most of them, and he knows the school, but he's always been sheltered by the daycare, and now he needs to be able to find his lunch bag, and organize his own food and everything... he just seems so young. I know I don't give him enough credit, but I just picture him getting lost in the frenzy. Although, when we got home, the neighbour told us that when he brought AJ into the classroom, there were two girls fighting over who got to put their stuff next to Jack's. I expect he'll give us a run for our money forever.

Trevor tells the story of his first day of kindergarten... apparently he kicked and screamed and cried and ran home on his own. I don't remember mine, but I have no doubt that Jack will. He remembers everything. I am so excited to pick them up and hear how it was. I'm sure they will have absolutely nothing to say, but I'll ask the questions nonetheless.

Trevor's first day today was a little more anticlimactic than the kids'. He just got in the car and drove off.

Well, I'm going off to the gym, and then I think I'll enjoy my empty house some more. I'll post pictures later, when they've been edited, and I'll give you the kids' version of the day.