It Begins

Hi again!

So, yesterday was the first day of school. Parents around the country got through Sunday night with nervous excitement, while kids were either dreading school or excited to go back. Kale was decidedly in the excited category. Abby was in the dreading category (although she's never been to school.) But she knew that all kindergarteners have naptime. This knowledge overshadowed all good things Abby knew about kindergarten. When the dreaded Sunday night in question finally rolled around, the Robertson household was unusually structured. The kids got their all-important-first-day-of-school-must-impress-the-teacher-because-if-I-don't-my-academic-career-could-be-ruined outfits all laid out and ready to go (Abby's complete with matching hair ribbon.) We did drills with their new alarm clocks to make sure they knew how to hit 'snooze' (although we did NOT tell them that the 'snooze' button is there so that people can sleep longer.) We ran through the checklist for the morning routine: Turn off alarm; get dressed; put pajamas away; make bed; brush teeth; then you can bother mommy and daddy. Kenny and I went to bed feeling that we had just created a little family of Von Trapps who were fully capable of a seamless first morning of school! So, Monday morning finally reared its glorious head. Much to our delight, our von Trapps remembered their morning routines! The got up, got dressed, put their pajamas away, made their beds, and brushed their teeth, and came into our room to tell us they were ready for breakfast. It was beautiful. Seamless. Almost a work of art. So, we head off to school. Gulp! We get there (very early, just my style!), and join the melee. There are separate lines for different grades, but no signs to point you in a direction. The casual observer might not even be able to identify that there are separate lines. It's like a club. Only those who are in the club know about the lines. Are you in? As Heidi Klum says, "As you know, one day you're in, the next day you're OUT." (Cue German accent and high heels.) Well, by divine intervention, we overhead someone else (who was IN) talking about the lines, so we found where we were supposed to be. Abby, to my immense relief, immediately spotted a friend, so she sat happily down in the kindergarten line. Kale, who is at his best in a crowd of total strangers, was so excited to sit down in a group of kids he'd never seen before. No worries there. Some kids weren't so lucky. There was one little boy next to Abby who was just bawling his eyes out. His parents dropped him off (for kindergarten) and didn't stay. His backpack was completely full of his school supplies, since his parents didn't bother to take him to open house. He was terrified and lost. It was pitiful. Fortunately, Kenny found another 'Harding' family whose son was in his class. They helped him out. On the other side of Abby, a couple of girls down, sat a little girl who was completely conked out. Her head was bobbing, and she was nearly talking in her sleep...her mouth kept forming words, although no sound came out. It was so cute! So, all things considering, I figured my kids were in pretty good shape! Finally, the teachers came out to retrieve the kids, and we walked them back to their classrooms and said farewell. Believe it or not, I was strangely unemotional. Last year,when Kale started kindergarten, I was a mess. But this year, I'm just so excited for them both! And, sure enough, when we finally made it through the pick-up line, which was roughly the length of I-40, they were both in very high spirits! They both had a really good time. Abby even said naptime wasn't too bad. Thanks, Lord!! What I learned: Structure is a good thing. And even I can give the kids structure. Always, always, always, wait with your kids on the first day of school, no matter what. And, for Pete's sake, get to the pick-up line early! It's a zoo out there! Talk to you soon!