K-Day

Well, this is it. Connor's first day of Kindergarten. I'm sitting here on the couch at 8:09 a.m., waiting for the time we can leave the house. Me. Not a morning person. Up since 6:00 a.m.

My stomach is tied in knots, my heart is thumping and I'm nervous about a two minute walk to the school. Did I mention that I live right down the street from the school? I can see the building from my living room window and could, in fact, watch Connor walk the entire way until he disappeared into the doors. And I'm sick-anxious.

Connor keeps asking me if it's time to go yet. This is the child who, last year, had nightmares before playschool! Now he can't wait to get out the door and on his way. They sure grow up fast.

Well, it's time to pack up the baby and head off. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

********************

I'm back. Well, that was interesting. The letter I got from the school said I had to have Connor to his classroom by 8:35 a.m. We made it a few minutes early and proceeded to stand around in the hallway with the other parents and kids until 9:15!! They were admitting the kids one at a time, attaching name tags and escorting them to their lockers. There were questions for the parents to answer.

"Does he have allergies?"
"Is he staying for lunch?"
"Is he riding the bus or being picked up?"
"Whose picking him up?"
"How do you spell your name?"

I'm trying to keep one eye on my baby who I have, by this time, freed from the restraints of the stroller. He can only stand being strapped down for so long. My son Benen keeps asking if he can go in the classroom, if we're going home yet, and can he have a snack? By this time it was 9:30 and I'm thinking it's almost over when the lady passes me a handful of papers and a pen.

"Here. These need to be filled out."

I stare at her. I look at the papers. Something begins to niggle at the back of my mind. Seems to me I filled out these same colored forms back in May. I look at the lady again.

"These are the registration forms. They want you to fill them out again."

O-kay.

I ushered my other two children into the kindergarten room and let them go at it. I pulled up a miniature chair and proceeded to balance half my posterior precariously on the seat while digging through my purse for Connor's health card and madly scribbling in the same information I'm sure is lurking somewhere in the school office.

My cell phone rings. I quickly whipped it out and quietly informed the person on the other end that I would call them back when I was out of the school.

Kindergarten is well underway at this point and I'm the last lingering parent. My two other children have managed to pull out the toys the other kids had neatly put away. I tore off the colored sheets, handed them to the teacher, strapped my baby back into the stroller, threw my phone and purse in my big purse/diaper bag, and turned to leave the room.

"Mom? Where are you going?"

I turned to see a frown of concern on my son's face.

"I'll be back to pick you up at the end of the day. You have fun and remember to listen to your teacher. I love you."

The tears welled up. I spent a few extra minutes assuring Connor that he'd be fine, that I'd be back and that he would have fun. Then I left.

I got home sometime after 10:00 a.m.!! Crazy!