First Day of School- Part Two

There is one word that can describe today....Bittersweet!

This morning we were up bright and early prepping Leilani for school. She went off on the school bus without a hitch. I had the next three and a half hours to spend with Christopher before he went off to school....First Day of Kindergarten!

Chris spent the better part of the first hour watching his Noggin cartoons. And then it hit him. I am actually leaving to school on a bus today. The morning was spent in Q & A.

Chris: Mom, how do I know where I sit on the bus?
Me: I am sure the bus driver will tell you.

Chris: Mom, how do I know what classroom I go to?
Me: There will be teachers and the principal and school staff in the hallways directing you where to go. That is why you have the tag on you. That is, until you know where you are going.

Chris: (teary eyed) Mom, what if the teacher doesn't like how I write? She's not going to like me.
Me: Aw Chris, it's OK. You write fine. She will help you to write better. You'll see.

Chris: (panicked) Mom, I don't know how to read yet.
Me: Honey, Mrs. P will teach you how to read this year. Before you know it you will be reading just like Leilani. After all, Mrs. P was her teacher as well.

Chris: Mom, the bus is not coming for me. Why isn't it here? It forgot about me.
Me: It's the first day, it is just a little late.

When the bus finally arrived he ran towards it. thinking it was going to pull away and leave him behind. He gave me a kiss, asked the driver where does he sit, and buckled himself in. Then he was off. My little boy....off to school.

Of course I watched as the hours ticked by. I thought about him afternoon thinking, "I wonder what he is doing now?" & "I hope he is having a good day." At approximately 3:45pm, I sat outside and waited for his bus to arrive. Again, I watched as the minutes crawled around the face of my watch. The minutes turned into an hour, then an hour and a half. Had this been my first experience with the buses I would have been frantic. But knowing how difficult it is for the little ones to know which bus they go on, and knowing the fact that each driver meticulously checks off the kids that should be on thier bus makes for a very long, tedious first day.

Finally, when his bus arrived, Christopher hopped off the bus beaming. He was ecstatic to walk in the house to the aroma of fresh baked brownies, his all time favorite snack. He sat down at the table and told me all about his day. The first day of school was a huge success. He loves his teacher, his bus driver, his new friends, and school all together. The day was bittersweet.