1st Day
The first day of school this year was questionable. Let me clarify...apparently it was questionable whether or not I was ready or even knew it was the first day of school. Typically every year, we experience tell-tale signs that the start of the school year is close as the kids start fighting and being bored with summer and getting really ancy. I didn't really see that happening this year. It could have had something to do with the fact that the weather was not summer-like for the two weeks prior to school starting. (The first day of school was in the 100s though).
Despite not being ready to go back, uniforms came out of storage, school supplies were purchased, back packs packed up, lunch accounts filled and tuition checks written. Our kindergarten is slightly different than most. The kids don't go every day, but they do go full days. Amelia started kindergarten this year and while the six other kids started school on a Tuesday, I had written on the calendar that Amelia started on Thursday. That didn't even phase me since the other six kids on some occasion or another didn't always have the same start day. I guess I figured that since the first day was only a half day, the intention was for kindergarteners to have their first day be a full one.
So, here is how our first day of school unfolded:
Four St. Teresa's students ready to go nice and early since Jonathan and the rest of the student counsel had to be at school early to welcome students back. Amelia eagerly joined me to take them to school. Our plan was to return home to send the high school boys off since they had a late start day and then to have breakfast together and then pack her school supplies, lay out her jumper for her first day on Thursday and hang out until school was over for the day. We had a plan!
We dropped kids off in front of school and Amelia waved to them and then promptly asked me, "Mom, why does Jay have his whole new uniform on?" "Hmm...I...don't...know?" (Jay is in her class) In the course of answering that question, I thought that sometimes it is just so exciting that it makes sense to allow a younger sibling to put a new uniform on to take older siblings to school...and then I realized that Jay is the oldest!! He is in his uniform because it is his first day of school. Maybe his mom got it wrong...rookie mom...it's possible right?? I quickly contacted another kindergarten mom to inquire. Sure enough, it wasn't a rookie mom mistake, it was a VETERAN mom mistake!!!!!
We returned home while I calmly informed Amelia that our plan is now that she would get dressed in her school uniform because I made a mistake and this IS her first day of school!!
It was a successful first day of school...all the way around, despite the way it started. This is the official first day of kindergarten picture.
And this is the official all together first week of school picture (on Thursday!) :) Slight resistance for this one. :)
It's official...all seven in school. What to do with my free time??? HA HA HA HA HA!!
Despite not being ready to go back, uniforms came out of storage, school supplies were purchased, back packs packed up, lunch accounts filled and tuition checks written. Our kindergarten is slightly different than most. The kids don't go every day, but they do go full days. Amelia started kindergarten this year and while the six other kids started school on a Tuesday, I had written on the calendar that Amelia started on Thursday. That didn't even phase me since the other six kids on some occasion or another didn't always have the same start day. I guess I figured that since the first day was only a half day, the intention was for kindergarteners to have their first day be a full one.
So, here is how our first day of school unfolded:
We dropped kids off in front of school and Amelia waved to them and then promptly asked me, "Mom, why does Jay have his whole new uniform on?" "Hmm...I...don't...know?" (Jay is in her class) In the course of answering that question, I thought that sometimes it is just so exciting that it makes sense to allow a younger sibling to put a new uniform on to take older siblings to school...and then I realized that Jay is the oldest!! He is in his uniform because it is his first day of school. Maybe his mom got it wrong...rookie mom...it's possible right?? I quickly contacted another kindergarten mom to inquire. Sure enough, it wasn't a rookie mom mistake, it was a VETERAN mom mistake!!!!!
We returned home while I calmly informed Amelia that our plan is now that she would get dressed in her school uniform because I made a mistake and this IS her first day of school!!
While she got dressed, I quickly dumped out all of the school supplies, hopeful that I could label and pack an entire back pack in under 3 minutes! NOPE. So, again, I calmly explained that we would still be able to do it later and she wouldn't really need anything today anyway. By this time, the older boys were ready to go and I really wanted a first day picture of them too, so we calmly took the time to take one before jumping back in the van. They were laughing at me for "forgetting" that Amelia was starting school. Ha ha!
Never mind that I'm sending Joshua off to his FIRST day of high school while CALMLY yet frantically handing him money for lunch just in case I didn't load his account properly. I didn't even give him a hug and tell him to have an amazing first day. I think I told them both that I loved them...if I didn't I'm just going to remember it how I want to!
Notice I keep emphasizing the word "calmly". I was diligent in remaining calm because I didn't want Millie's first day to be traumatic! We got to school just as the kids were walking across the street to go to Mass. She had my hand and I explained that we would just go straight to her classroom. I could tell she was a little unsure as we had to walk by lingering parents. I assured her that she would line up before school just like she did for preschool.
We walked up to her classroom and I knocked on the door as her teacher had already begun to orient her class. Good thing for me, this teacher has taught all six of her siblings! When Amelia went into the classroom, her teacher stepped out so I could explain what was going on...that I somehow messed up the calendar, that her back pack was empty and that I'm so sorry!! And then the water works began!! I just started sobbing...half because of out of control pregnancy hormones and half because I just felt like a sloth of a mom for being so unorganized!
Fortunately she just recently had a baby so she was empathetic of my lack of emotional control. I waited another five minutes in the hallway trying to compose myself and then lost it again on my way out. There were still parents lingering, and while I tried mightily to hide my mistake, I couldn't help but tearfully confess and then proceed to laugh about it since it didn't make sense to be worked up about it. If I wasn't pregnant I think I would have returned home and dumped Bailey's in my coffee!
It's official...all seven in school. What to do with my free time??? HA HA HA HA HA!!
