First Day, Take One

Bitty doesn't get to start school for two more weeks (dangit!) but Stomper got to go to first grade this morning. He was so excited about it I couldn't help but be excited myself. (Okay, I would have been excited anyway.) We bought an alarm on Monday so we could have better mornings without mom nagging at everyone to wake up and get out of bed. I set it last night but at 7:21 this morning realized that I obviously didn't do it correctly because it never went off. I went in and quickly set it for 7:22, snuck out, and let the thing do its duty. Both of the kids jumped in their sleep when it went off, and it sure got them out of bed! Luckily they decided they liked it. The morning went well, and all five of us went off to school to check out the first grade.

By the way, I sound like I'm just excited to get the kids away from me and out of the house. I can not deny that there is something to that. But before you condemn me as a sucky parent, think of this. Every school day when I say goodbye, there comes a moment when I get to say hello. That is a wonderful moment, that moment of reunion. And during the summer you don't get to have that moment very often. I love that moment. Also, I could use some new stimulation for the kids, and let me just say that they are seriously ready for some time away from each other. Also, (doth I protest too much?) I really am excited! I remember all the things I loved about school, especially pre-sixth grade. I love watching my kids learn new things. It's...exciting! So, I have now officially defended my feelings of elation about the start of the school year.

This year was a little strange for me because every year before this we've had some sort of orientation, meet the teacher, see the classroom kind of experience. We had none of that this time. Just find out what class you're in on Friday and drop the kids off on Tuesday morning. It felt a little cold turkey to me, but I guess since Stomper didn't seem to be traumatized by it at all I shouldn't be either.

During school I took Bitty and Bundle to the zoo. I am very proud of myself because as I was walking out the door I thought to myself, you know, Bundle hasn't pooped for a few days and I bet she does it at the zoo. I'd better bring an extra change of clothes. I quickly grabbed the jammies I had just changed her out of. Good thing I did. She didn't poop at the zoo. She pooped on the way to the zoo. MAN. I think she ruined her clothes. And I'm not sure I got it all out of her belly button. And watch out for the changing table in the bathroom by the entrance if you're there in the near future. I tried to wipe it down as best I could. How could such a cute, darling little thing make a mess like that? Here's a picture of her in the onsie she destroyed:


(I just had to throw that shot in because it's so cute!)Is it ironic that the shirt she pooped all over says, "adorable?"

We got back just in time to pick up Stomper from school. I tried all afternoon to get information out of him as to what he did all day and came up with nothing. Apparently there was a lot of talking, none of which he remembers. He did, however, get very excited that he ate his whole lunch so he could eat his dessert. The kid hasn't yet figured out that I WON'T KNOW IT if he eats dessert first. No one tell him.

I had a poignant moment last night as I made his first ever school lunch. As I lovingly spread the peanut butter and gently tucked in the string cheese and carrot sticks, I realized that if I keep making lunches for my kids for the rest of school, I'm in for a damn lot of lunch making. Bundle will (I hope) graduate from high school in 18 years. I have 18 years of lunch making ahead of me. This occurred to me again after school as I stopped someone from diving into the freshly purchased lunch supplies. "Don't eat that! It's for school lunches!" A phrase I heard hollered many times in my own home growing up. I have now uttered/hollered it myself for the first time and not, I strongly suspect, for the last.