On a whim, I asked the kids what their goals for this year were. Not really expecting much of a response other than an eyeroll, here are the responses I got...
Sawyer - "To get better grades"
Kellan - "To read the complete "Twilight" series"
Rhys - "To learn my multiplication and division tables so well I don't need to think about them"
I was pretty impressed by these goals. My friend Sandra suggested I write them in a visible spot so none of us forget. Good suggestion - have I done it yet? Not so much.
Drop off was interesting. Rhys was pretty matter of fact. He didn't want me to walk him to class, but I insisted, only to be berated by his teacher for doing so. Note to self: listen to the boy.
Kellan took off with a confident smile in my direction. She was excited.
Abby (can't forget her) looked a little tentative, and I gave her a squeeze, and left her room, tears running down my face. My baby is in kindergarten. I think I am having a harder time with this than her parents...
Sawyer asked that I drop her off at school (we usually do the carpool thing with another family), and she was nervous. Understandably so. I remember those first days of school (for me it was high school) walking into those classes, hoping to just see one familiar face, and once a familiar face is spotted, hoping it is friendly. God, it sucked. I tried to be all mom-like and give her a speech about the opportunity of meeting new people and stopped halfway through. No - it sucks. I hated, and still hate, walking into a new situation. She hopped out of the car, with a small smile for me, and then I went off to start my day (and that is whole other blog, not written yet, see http://www.diaryofapreschoolteacher.blogspot.com/ in a day or two).
Pick up time arrives. Actually, way before pick up time arrives, but me and my cronies are so excited to go back to the bench (http://depositextratimehere.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-to-school.html), we arrive at school 30 minutes early.
First to be picked up - Abby. "I love school, my favorite part is the cafeteria."
Then Rhys makes his way out. "My teacher is the strictest teacher I have ever had". Looking at his short list of teachers, that probably is a true statement. He did allow that her strict rules regarding no talking in class and no running around the classroom were probably good rules to have.
Kellan finds me. "I love fifth grade!" She loves her teacher, she loves her class. Yeah!
Now to go get Sawyer. I'm all scared, because I know how hard her day most likely was, and frankly, Sawyer is a glass half empty kind of gal. She gets in the car. "How was your day?" I ask tentatively. She gives me the thumbs up. What a relief! She has people she likes in her classes, her teachers made the upcoming year sound exciting, and she is now an 8th grader - big kid on campus. Whew!
So the madness starts again. I have made the decision to be home with my family more this year, giving up a few of my many babysitting gigs so I can be around more. I am thinking that I will have all of this extra time, so I can help my kids organize themselves and cook wholesome wonderful meals for them. Yet, the first day of school has come and gone, and even though I am working less, the time - still not there. It is after 9PM, and everything that I needed to get done today, both in the house (dishes. lots and lots of dishes) and for work still sits in gigantic piles around me, mocking me.
I am taking a deep breath, and just going to go with the flow. Do the best I can. And try to have a fun time doing it, and try to make it fun for the people around me. Because if I can provide entertainment for the people around me by how scattered I am then my job is done.
Rhys telling me his day was terrible...
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