1st Grade and Preschool

School started today.

Did you hear the shouts of praise coming from my house?

Okay, so I do not want to be one of those moms who longs for school days to get rid of the kids.  I love my children.  I love having them around and I miss them when they are gone.  However, I could do without the fighting.  And the whining.  Apparently, they are angels for other people so why not bless others with their company?

My baby Abby started 1st Grade today.  I seriously have no idea how that happened.  She hurried along the halls this morning, saying hello to her friends, anxious to get settled in her new classroom.  No long hugs good-bye or tears of fear.  I stood in the hall, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement of a farewell, but she was completely embracing her six-year old academic life.

When I was debriefed on her day that afternoon, she loved it.  I heard stories of recess ("It is not as long as last year, Mom!"), lunch ("I did not get a cookie with my lunch!") and friends ("I saw my old friends at lunch and recess!").  Apparently, everything worth mentioning involves the playground or food.

My little Caleb started his second year of preschool.  Just like his sister, he ran into his classroom and I never had that hug or tearful regret.  It helped that all of his buddies were there.  They encouraged each other so well that the need for moms was long forgotten.

Breaks my heart a little bit.

Caleb's summary of the morning?  "The snacks were good-Teddy Grahams...There are new bikes on the playground...Noah, Ollie, Marc Hayden and I played with puppets...we went to the library."

That was actually more information than I ever received last year, so I guess that is something.  I still have no idea what he learned, but I did receive some fun answers to my questions...




Me:  "Did you play with any of the girls?"
Caleb:  "Uh, no, I guess not.  I don't talk to them much."
Me:  "Did you have any accidents?"
Caleb (with surprise in his voice):  "Actually, I did not!"
Me:  "What did you learn today?"
Caleb:  "Uh, I don't remember."

Glad to see our tuition money is going to good use.

All in all, a good first day.  It ended with the two of them picking on each other, Abby in tears over some girl drama and Noah getting crabby.  I personally think he was spoiled by the quiet all morning and then was mad it did not last long.

Oh wait.  That was me.

Seriously, though, I miss my babies when someone else is taking care of them.  Part of me already misses the summer.

And the other part of me loves the fact that I got to finish my book today.