School's in Session!

On Monday morning I could just hear Handel's Messiah and the angels singing . . . Ha-lle-lu-jah. Ha-lle-lu-jah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Ha-Lay-Lu-jah! It was the first day of school!!! My kids were singing the same tune but for different reasons than mine.

I had been anticipating this day for sometime - and it's finally arrived. I was almost giddy with excitement the week before. Don't get me wrong, most mothers out there understand, I will miss my boys terribly but it was time! I had really tried to embrace summer vacation and having my kids home - there is so much to do, so much fun to be had. Somehow that joy all comes to a screeching halt when the arguing and rough-housing sets in and no one wants to practice the piano or read, 'cause it's summer. It just made me feel like a mean mom trying to keep the peace. Boo.

Even though I sent AAH off to Kindergarten on Monday I did not shed a tear. We made it through the first couple of days with flying colors - he even claimed his second day was "awesomer" than the first. And then, this morning, they both BEGGED to ride the bus to school. STOP. I wasn't quite ready to send my little guy on the bus just yet, after only two days of school (however, knowing his older brother would be with him every step of the way eased my mind a lot).

I had been drilling the routine in his tiny Kinder-brain endlessly, knowing that maybe next week we'd TRY the bus: "the bus drops you off, you go to your class, put your backpack on the hook, go out to play on the play ground, listen for the bell, run into class. Got it?!!" He promised me that he could do it. I realized there was no good reason to say no - the bus is safe, Miss Trish the driver is very protective and sweet, AAH knows where to go and what to so, big brother is an experienced bus-rider and he'll be with him. So, Despite my hesitation I reluctantly put the two of them on the bus this morning - that's when my throat got all choked up and the tears welled up in my eyes as I stood in the road at the bus stop.

Thank heaven it didn't last long - I took AVH on a walk and enjoyed the morning air and my iPod. But once I got home I felt like I was waiting for a call from the school saying your little, vulnerable Kinderboy never made it. 8:30 came and went and I received no such call. I knew that I should give my little one more credit than is usually bestowed upon a 5-year-old. They are probably capable of more than we know. Like realizing that if you blame some other kid for your infraction of the rules, there is a chance that you won't get caught. That was the report he gave after school today. Pushed a kid - blamed someone else - kid-blamed agreed that he was the pusher. Nice. We're off to a great start.

But ahhhh, the peace and quiet at home. Don't hate me for laying in bed reading this afternoon - join me!