Kindergarten Adventures (Part 1)

I knew this day was coming, hell I’ve known since before Cameron was even born that someday he would have his first day of school. I’m talking “real” school here, not that preschool stuff. I’m talking a full day, away from home, eating in a cafeteria, riding a bus kind of school. Yesterday was that day.

Before I get into the excitement and adventure of his day, I want need to back track to last week’s meet the teacher event. As we arrived, the school principle was there to greet us and give a special gift to all the mothers. It was a little pack of tissues and tied to it was a poem. As soon as I saw poetry was involved I shoved it right into my purse so I could start blubbering like an idiot in the privacy of my own home. I would find out later that that was the right move. Here’s what the little poem said…

First Day of Kindergarten

Author unknown

Everyone has a first day

When they feel sad and all alone

It can be scary

When you are on your own

And I know that a first day

Can be full of doubts and fears

But they are full of new beginings

Take my hankie, dry your tears

You’ll find lots of things to do

And you’ll probably make new friends

I promise we’ll be together

When the school day ends

Here comes the teacher

Blow your nose and be brave

Come on now and wipe your eyes

This is no way to behave

Well, good morning, teacher

We Really do beg your pardoon

No, MOMMY doesn’t always act this way

But it’s my first day of Kindergarten!

I think that sending a child off to school for the first time is actually like having a child. Sure, people will tell you what it’s like and what to expect, but it’s not the same until you’re experiencing it yourself. Just like becoming a parent, I don’t think any mother is ever REALLY ready to put her child on that bus for the first time. There’s that saying that if people waited until they were “ready” to have children, they never would. Well, if a mother waited to send their babies to school until she was ready, they might never go.

Even in the years no months no DAYS leading up to yesterday it didn’t seem real. My baby couldn’t possibly be getting on that big yellow death trap and heading off to a full day of learning and stimulation…He’s just my little guy. It wasn’t until the other day as I was gathering his school supplies and making sure he had everything he needed that it hit me, this is really happening. Even through all the meetings, and events, and shopping, I still hadn’t accepted that he was really going off to school. It wasn’t until I realized that that backpack wasn’t going to just collect dust in my closet, it was going to have adventures at school, it was going to hang from a hook in a cubby made just for Cameron that I really lost it. How did this happen? How did my chubby little baby grow up so fast? How am I old enough to have a child in Kindergarten?

So off he went, all smiles, to start the next chapter of his life. To make new memories. To make new friends. I thought for sure the day would drag on, but thankfully it went by pretty fast and before I knew it it was time to head down the hill to get him off the bus. I was so excited to see his smiling face and hear all about my day before I headed out to work. I couldn’t wait to see all the treasures he would bring home in his Cars 2 backpack.

Little did I know just how long we’d be waiting to get him off that bus…Coming soon, our adventures with the school bus and Mommy’s near murderous rage.