Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Is it pick-up time yet??


My two oldest began school yesterday.  A brief timeline of the morning follows:

6:24 am: Charlotte wakes me with a plaintive knock on my door.  She waltzes in, dressed from hair bow to brown buckle shoes.  "Is it time to leave for school yet?!?"

6:45 am:  All my kids are up, dressed, and sitting around the table for breakfast.  "Hurry, we don't want to be late for school!"  Jack wears his backpack while he eats his waffles.

7:02 am:  Jack now insists it really is time to leave for school and carries his Spiderman lunch box everywhere he goes, including the bathroom when he brushes his teeth.

7:15 am:  I sit the kids down at the table to write their names.  Saw an adorable picture on pinterest where kids held up designer chalkboards with their names written on them.  I do not have designer chalkboards, so I gave the kids printer paper.

7:30 am:  Hustle kids out the door and take pictures in front of the house. See above.  In the market for a better camera and/or more cooperative children.

7:45 am:  Charlotte runs off into the Kindergarten yard to play while I drop Jack off at the first grade line.  He waves me off.

8:00 am:  I stand dutifully at the back of the Kindergarten classroom while Charlotte sits with docile obedience on the carpet.  Mrs. Borgos reads a sentimental good-bye story.  I feel a little smug as I watch the helpless parents of weepy children.  And then...

8:05 am:  Charlotte's eyes fill with silent tears, her lip quavers.  Then she starts emitting top of the audible spectrum shrieks and clutching to me wildly.

8:06 am: I flee the room as Mrs. Borgos pulls her away from my legs while singing "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"  Charlotte does not clap.

8:06-10:15 am:  I spend the morning eating york peppermint patties and watching internet videos, trying to drown my panicked feeling that Charlotte just might still be screaming.  Straining my ears to listen for her, 3 blocks away.

10:30 am:  After being the very first mom to show up at Kindergarten pick up, I collect a daughter that is not crying nor frowning.  She seems fine. I'm the traumatized one.

**Update:  Now it's Tuesday.  After a snuggly pep-talk early this morning, I was able to drop Charlotte off with no tears.  (She even walked into the gate without me, but I hid behind the wall to watch her go in.)  And Jack?  Ran off into the first grade yard without a second glance.

I will probably get to the point eventually where I enjoy the quiet house and extra time with the little ones.  For now, I'm just taking it one day at a time and compulsively looking at the clock, waiting to get my houseful back!


2 comments:

sarah.liz said...

Poor Liz. But I think once Charlotte gets her kindergarten groove thang on, you'll be enjoying it right along with her. :)

Rebecca Reid said...

aw, what a cute story. I was pretty sad when I dropped Paul off for his first day of preschool, but then, I had an empty house, no other kids at home. I've gotten used to having a little time :) I'm sure you'll enjoy that too, at some point.