First Day

On Tuesday Oliver went off to Kindergarten. I feel like this is such a significant milestone but I’m feeling pretty emotional about it, too. I’m excited for him because I know he will just love it. He wasn’t nervous or concerned at all. And really, that was no surprise because he is so ready. He knows enough of what they will learn this year to feel really confident but not so much that he will be bored. He makes friends so easily. He loves to learn and follow rules (which is sort of what Kindergarten is all about, right?!) He already came home saying that there were some kids that were being naughty by spinning the globe really fast, but he was quick to point out that he wasn’t one of them! Anyway, this kid is going to be a kindergarten all-star. It’s not his adjustment I’m worried about at all. I’m sad for me!!!

I’m sad that this milestone represents his first step away from home and into the world. I have loved being able to be at home with my little boys in these preschool years (OK, except maybe the first few months after Andrew was born! That was really rough and I wasn’t exactly mother-of-the-year so I’m sure my kids weren’t having much fun either.) Someone once told me that “the days are long but the years are short,” and that feel so true right now.  Today, while Oliver was at school, I drove past the park where our playgroup was meeting and almost cried. I saw the little gaggle of moms with strollers and babies in arms and realized that these days are so precious and that they will be over before I know it.

The irony is that I am looking forward to their growing up. I am excited to enter the phase when all three are big enough to do things together. I’m excited to travel with them, to take them places that will ignite their imaginations (FYI…I’m not talking about Disneyland and there are no strollers in this vision of mine). I’m looking forward to going on a family ski trip (when everyone can conceivably learn to ski…maybe in 5 years), I can’t wait to teach them to sail (but they’ll need to learn to swim first), and I yearn for the day when we can all go to a museum and the boys won’t spend the whole time rolling around on the grass outside. I’m not trying to rush through the phase we are in now, but I am ALSO looking forward to what’s-to-come.

The fact that it’s half-day Kindergarten makes it a little easier. It’s not such a big adjustment, it’s just like preschool, but everyday. In fact, we made such a big deal out of the first day of Kindergarten that I almost forgot that we had to wake up and do it all over again this morning!! I had scheduled a repair man to come to the house today just as I would have had to leave with Oliver to ride our bikes over to school. I was able to reschedule, but I realized it’s going to take a while to adjust to this new routine. But here we go!! 

   Meeting his teacher for the first time.  

They start with the basics so the first thing he learned was the sign for “I have to use the bathroom” (It’s crossed fingers like “fingers crossed I don’t pee on the floor!”) 

First day of school, walking with his Dad. They had to bring a ream of paper and some other school supplies for the classroom which is why Ryan is carrying Oliver’s bag. Oliver was beaming when I came to pick him up and we went to get frozen yogurt for a special treat to hear about his first day. As expected he loved it! He announced that he had made a friend, but not only couldn’t remember his name, couldn’t remember what he looked like. Gotta love boys. A friend is someone who also likes Star Wars and wants to talk about poop, they don’t get too hung up on particulars like names or faces.