His School Years Have Begun

Hi All,

*I have written this post over the last almost-year so forgive me if it seems a little whackadoodle but I had to finally post it all!*

I have been waiting to write this post for 10 years.  When we moved to DC in 2003, I sat in the dining room at our house in DC eating breakfast and watching all of the families on their way to school every morning and longed for it to be us one day.  And it finally is.  This year, my baby, my sweet sweet Rinat, started school.  Real school.  As in gone all day, spending more time with a stranger than with me, kind of school.  It is so scary and so exciting at the same time.  For me, that is.  Rinat?  Well, he is raring to go.  Has been for years now.  This kid LOVES school.  I mean, he wakes up on a Saturday morning upset that he has to hang out with me all day.  And yes, it sort of hurts my feelings but at the same time, it makes me so happy.  I am happy to be mother to a super social, information seeking, school lover.    

**First, I’ll take you back to April

Kindergarten orientation was last April and Rin was super excited about it.  He kept asking and asking when the big day was going to come.  He felt so special telling all his friends at his Montessori that he was going to be absent because he was going to visit his new school- that big mysterious building that the big kids went every day.  I mean, know knows what goes on in there.  What was it going to be like?  Were the teachers going to be nice?  Would he get to go outside?  The day finally came.  I just love that mix of emotions that happens when he starts something new.  I love to see his little face with a big fat smile on it but a bit of nervousness mixed in.  I think it’s good to be a little scared.  It means you are doing something big and important and he was.  He was about to start the most important thing he was going to do for the next 13 years.  He was starting school.  And so after breakfast, the sitter came to watch Bek and my little boy and I set off together to find out what that big scary place was all about… 

We walked toward the school holding hands and talking about how excited/nervous he was.  He asked a million more questions and I tried to make him laugh to keep the nerves at bay and as we got to the corner he… well… he let go.  My sweet baby boy let go of my hand and showed me in no uncertain terms that he is ready to move on with his life on his own.  As in, without me helping him along.  Without me being there.  Without me holding his hand in any way.  And in a drop of a hand his babyhood was over.  In the drop of a hand, he grew up.   

We got there and they divided the recruits up and sent them off to take a tour, listen to a story, and visit a real life kindergarten classroom while we listened to the principal talk.  I don’t know how anyone could have concentrated.  I couldn’t.  All I could think was that they took my baby away and I didn’t know what he was doing.  But I had confidence in my adorable, outgoing little boy.  I knew he’d be fine.  And then let released us to go find our kids.   

I had this panic attack when I couldn’t find my sweet little bean.  I went from kinder room to kinder room looking for him until I made it to the last one and I asked the teacher if he was there and she said “Oh yes, Rinat.  He introduced himself and asked if he could play with the Legos.”  At least I know my boy’s no wallflower.  Kindergarten orientation was a complete success and my boy cannot wait to head to school in the fall.  I myself am a little bit worried.  Not a lot, just a little.  I know he can be a handful and his teacher this year has done absolutely wonderful things with him and I am hoping that his teacher next year will too.  I am crossing my fingers.

**And now it’s September

Last night I wrote my sweet boy a letter and left some surprises out since normally he gets up way before us and I wanted him to look forward to his first day.  But this time he slept in.  He actually slept in.  He was so excited and so nervous that he must have stayed up too late so there was a tiny bit of bumbling but we got off alright.  The four of us walked to school together and we got him all situated in his classroom.  And then we left.  And let me tell you…

Peter cried more than me

Yup, my sweet little hubs teared up when we dropped him off this morning for his first day of big boy school.  And me?  I somehow managed to keep it together.  I’m not sure how but that’s how we are, we seem to sort of take turns freaking out about stuff while the other of us is calm and sane.  Take selling our house for instance, Peter’s a mess, but I’m fine.  Yes, we’re moving, more on that later.  

Peter came home early and I had to wake Bek up from nap to plop him in the stroller so we could walk up there to wait for our sweet boy to come out of the big school doors.  They looked gigantic as those little boys and girls walked out of them.  He came out with a smile on his face and gave us big hugs and I knew it had gone well.  There was something so satisfying about the four of us walking home together, hand in hand, pushing a stroller, hearing about our son’s first day at school, as a loving happy family.  It was worth the wait. 

He came home and gave me everything from his backpack and told me that he had homework tonight (homework!?!?).  It was a kissing hand.  At school, he had traced, cut out, and decorated his hand for me so that if I ever got lonely he would have a kiss from me.  His homework was to have me make one for him to keep at school in case he ever got sad.  That’s when I lost it.  The thought that my sweet little boy who is so independent might need a kiss from his mama when I wasn’t there just melted me.    

And now we are sitting here as our boys play school.  Aibek has packed himself a lunch and Rin is telling him all of the rules of school- no threatening, write your name on your paper, sit here, at school we use crayons, put your things in your cubby, if you’re good you get to pick out of the treasure box.  All is good in LeggettLand. 

**Second day of school

On his second day of school, we let him ride the bus.  Now, this is what HE has been looking forward to for years. Getting to take a ride around the block in the school bus was the highlight of his orientation last spring.  He woke up saying “I’m so excited about my second day of school!”  And he was even more jacked up than yesterday.  Gone were the nerves and the only emotion left was excitement.  He practically skipped his way to the bus stop and played with the other kids as we waited.  He really REALLY didn’t want us to take pictures of him as the bus pulled up- but we did anyway- and we made sure he introduced himself to the driver and then Mr Independent was outta here. 

His school years have begun. 

 And Bek, I’ll save his first day for anther post because it happens a little later.  

Love to all, -m