First Day

So much emotion. Wasn't quite prepared for how much, given that I've been trying to be in denial as much as possible. That was quite easy to do since we've had so much to distract us this summer, and especially this week, but this morning I could pretend no longer. We got Eli's backpack all loaded up last night. I made him a lunch in his new lunch box. And Eli laid out his first day outfit (picked totally by him). He was fine until it came time to tuck him in, and then he got a little nervous. He doesn't really voice it that way, but Eli has a certain look that is a dead giveaway for Lehr and I. Even as he told Lehr he was excited, we saw the nervous look.

This morning we woke up both kids right around 6:20AM. Waaaay early for them. Given the early time, Eli was a little on edge. His nervousness and apprehension comes out in the form of details. When he is scared, he needs everything to be 'as it should', and if it's not, then he gets upset. This morning he started to get teary and worked up because we were waking Maddux up and she's not supposed to get up with him before school; she's supposed to sleep in. We reminded him that this was a very very special day which was why she was getting up; she wanted to walk to the bus stop with him to wish him luck. He eventually calmed down, but it could have been ugly. (I've found that just leaving him to settle on his own works much better than reasoning with him when he gets this way. He will come around really quickly if I state the facts and then leave the room.)

We all went down to the garage to have a quick send-off breakfast for Eli. (A special muffin and berries.) I then brought Eli over by the washer and got down on his level. We talked about the "special kiss" we do sometimes, where I kiss inside his palm so he has it if he needs it during the day. I also made a small envelope with a heart on the front. I told him I'd put another kiss inside there. I then put the envelope in his pocket so it would be there whenever he needed it during the day. He grinned ear to ear, making my heart melt.

When we were done, we loaded Eli's backpack on him (so full of school supplies that he didn't have room for his lunch box!), put on his first-day badge, and left the house. We walked up the hill to the bus stop to wait for the big yellow vehicle. I am SO glad that Eli got to take a test drive on the bus with Lehr yesterday morning. He already knew the driver and the other kids on the bus already, which made him boarding it easy. He was all smiles and excitement most of the time, but a few moments while we were waiting found him with his 'nervous face'. But when that bus pulled up, he was Mr. Brave and crossed the street with a neighbor. On the bus he went without so much as looking back and away they went. Gulp. I LOVE that he wasn't clingy or overly nervous, but it was still with mixed emotions that I watched him walk away.

After an eternity of watching the clock, the magic time finally rolled around and Mad Dog and I walked up the hill to wait for the bus. When it arrived Eli was the first one off of it and crossing the street. Same big smile, same twinkle in his eye. He had a great day and he was very excited about it. Eli said he played some fun games (a funny sing-song voice: "Whaaaaat's Your Naaaame?"), ate lunch with a new friend, he claims he fell asleep during 'quiet time', and he played basketball in PE. Eli also told me that he reached for his 'kiss envelope' a few times during the day, but he wasn't really sad. I'm so proud of my big Kindergartner!