Kindergarten First Day Didn't Live Up To Hype
I was planning write a real heartfelt tearjerker today, the first day of kindergarten for my oldest son, Curt.
It wasn't all that emotional, cute, funny or anything really. In fact, the whole messy morning was rather annoying.
The day started with my contact lenses, which apparently absorbed a lot of soap that I failed to rinse from my hands before pinching them out and sticking them in the case for the night. The lenses burned upon contact this morning. Despite repeated rinsings, they still burned a bit as we headed out the door for school.
We took a left off State Highway 105 in Sour Lake to find a slow-moving, half-mile-long traffic jam leading to the elementary school. We finally got to the parking lot near a side entrance, and it was vehicular chaos. I wound up doing a little off-road action en route to a parking spot.
But the time the wife and I, with our youngest in tow, got in the door, we were pushing being late, and my eyeballs were burning again, feeling like they'd been splashed with acid. The halls were crowded with kids, parents and school folks.
The contacts were making my eyes water. People must have thought I'd been bawling, which I almost was, due to the pain.
The kindergarten teacher made it clear that parents were not welcome to linger in the moment, so it was kiss-kiss, hug-hug and we were out of there. The wife tried her best to shed a tear, but the frenzy took the wind out of her emotional sails.
My duty wasn't over. I had to go stand in another long line to fill out some emergency contact information.
Then it was back home to replace the contacts and then off to work.
Curt, due to his mild autism, has been going to school since he turned 3, which made this morning a bit anticlimactic. We've done it all before.
Last year, we bonded every morning as we drove over to China, checking out the scenery, listening to music and hoping there'd be a train to watch. I was part of the morning classroom routine, leading kids on a march around the classroom on Fridays, often picking out the day-starter songs, getting to know teachers and kids.
Now, I have to drop off Curt at the door and scram.
This year's route to school is shorter and void of trains. We'll still have our little bonding time. It won't be the same. It might be better, for all I know. We'll see.
Whatever it is, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Some day, maybe even next year, he won't want me to even get out of the car. I'll become more annoying and uncool as he grows increasingly independent.
Maybe he'll even want to take the bus, and our little morning time together will be over.
That's probably when I'll cry.
It wasn't all that emotional, cute, funny or anything really. In fact, the whole messy morning was rather annoying.
The day started with my contact lenses, which apparently absorbed a lot of soap that I failed to rinse from my hands before pinching them out and sticking them in the case for the night. The lenses burned upon contact this morning. Despite repeated rinsings, they still burned a bit as we headed out the door for school.
We took a left off State Highway 105 in Sour Lake to find a slow-moving, half-mile-long traffic jam leading to the elementary school. We finally got to the parking lot near a side entrance, and it was vehicular chaos. I wound up doing a little off-road action en route to a parking spot.
But the time the wife and I, with our youngest in tow, got in the door, we were pushing being late, and my eyeballs were burning again, feeling like they'd been splashed with acid. The halls were crowded with kids, parents and school folks.
The contacts were making my eyes water. People must have thought I'd been bawling, which I almost was, due to the pain.
The kindergarten teacher made it clear that parents were not welcome to linger in the moment, so it was kiss-kiss, hug-hug and we were out of there. The wife tried her best to shed a tear, but the frenzy took the wind out of her emotional sails.
My duty wasn't over. I had to go stand in another long line to fill out some emergency contact information.
Then it was back home to replace the contacts and then off to work.
Curt, due to his mild autism, has been going to school since he turned 3, which made this morning a bit anticlimactic. We've done it all before.
Last year, we bonded every morning as we drove over to China, checking out the scenery, listening to music and hoping there'd be a train to watch. I was part of the morning classroom routine, leading kids on a march around the classroom on Fridays, often picking out the day-starter songs, getting to know teachers and kids.
Now, I have to drop off Curt at the door and scram.
This year's route to school is shorter and void of trains. We'll still have our little bonding time. It won't be the same. It might be better, for all I know. We'll see.
Whatever it is, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Some day, maybe even next year, he won't want me to even get out of the car. I'll become more annoying and uncool as he grows increasingly independent.
Maybe he'll even want to take the bus, and our little morning time together will be over.
That's probably when I'll cry.
posted by Brian Pearson at 1:45 PM
1 Comments:
My youngest daughter started preK this year. We had meet the teacher day on thursday before school started. So when Monday came we were asked to drop our kids off and let them go on their own. When the tears started for my lil one I couldnt do that. I did as she asked and parked my car and took her in. She'd never been away to something like this.. It was a bit overwhelming for her. I walked her in and on the loud speaker comes,"Parents, we thank you for bringing your children to school today but it is now time for us to start our day." basically they threw us out..LOL I told her teacher she was nervous and the assistant called her over and gave her a hug. When I left she was still glued to teh assistants shirt and wasnt letting go. She only goes 3 hours a day. When I picked her up she was bouncing off the walls. They must have fed her pure sugar. Every day since when I pick her up she is beyond hyper bouncing off the walls.. I didnt cry when my oldest went to preK and I didnt cry this time.. There were other parents there crying though. I've done all this before.. It was a lil hard this time but not enough to turn on the water works. Now when my youngest son goes.. THen i'll probably cry. but thats 4 years away!
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