The First Day of School

We made it through the first of many first days of school. In all honesty, it couldn't have gone much better. Tyler has been increasingly excited about starting kindergarten and all of that was evident today. An early riser by nature, the 7:45 start time is not going to be a challenge for us. Today, he woke up before 6:00 but actually fell back asleep for a little while and got up at 6:30. We had talked about how the morning would go and planned to leave the house a little early to show daddy all the cool things about the school. While Megan has had a difficult time the last week or so with all the kindergarten talk and attention, today she was excited to help send her brother off to school. When they opened the door to his classroom, he put his backpack where he was supposed to, and headed inside to put his lunch box where it belonged. He then came and gave me a big overly sympathetic hug. I may over attribute actions to kids instincts but sometimes I feel they know exactly what their parents need at a particular moment. This morning was one of those moments. Tyler gave me the sweetest hug and just about the time he would normally let go, he gave me an extra squeeze as if to say, "it's all good, mommy." It may have been just as much for his sense of security as it was for mine, but it was just what I needed to let him go. After that, hugs to Megan (I am pretty sure Kevin got left out of the hugging scene but I could be wrong; I was doing my best to keep my emotions at bay). Kevin wanted me to clarify that he did indeed get a hug. Then, he walked into the classroom without a second glance.

While I am sure there are some boys who are very talkative about school, Tyler is definitely not one of them. Thankfully, after 5+ years I have grown used to this so I knew not to expect much detail after school today. However, I do know that he will tell us if something is not right. So the "I had a really good day at school today, mom," and "my teacher is so cool" were sufficient. He enjoyed the day, got to see his cousin Lael in the hallway, and started making some new friends ("I can't remember most of their names"). While I would love the essay description of the day, I am thankful he provided me enough detail to know that he is happy. In many ways I can't believe we are already here, embarking on 13 years of schooling. However, when I think of how I imagined this day a couple years ago versus now, it is apparent how much Tyler has matured. He was so self assured and excited about a new adventure, how can we not jump in and enjoy the ride?

Here Tyler is with all his gear before we head to school.

A quick hug for Megan

Adios family. I am ready to start having fun!