First Day of School

I have a fifth grader.

I have a second grader.

I have a seventh grader.  Gulp.

And I have a home buddy. 

Enjoy your freedom, kid.  It will end soon enough. 

My fifth grader was all ready to go.  His backpack was packed, his hair was gelled, he was itching to get started.  

He got a teacher that another child had had before.  And this previous child had been less than 'on top of it' for this teacher.  It felt like we engaged in weekly email updates on classroom choices.  

So I am excited for this teacher to get a whole new perspective on the kids I am raising.  Hopefully this new kid will give a much better perception of me as a mom.

***

My seventh grader was looking a little nervous today for his first day of junior high.  And I was nervous too.  

Keep in mind that I have actually sent a junior high schooler to this particular school before.  And I wasn't this nervous when I sent M that first day.  

But I was extremely worried today.  Would he find his first class?  Would he understand how to get around?  Would he be able to fend off all the girls?  

He is not my most observant child.  So I am worried about him getting lost.  Repeatedly.  We actually took him to an eye doctor a year or so ago because we were concerned that he couldn't seem to notice things right in front of his face.  Perfect vision.  Just unobservant.  

And he really likes attention from girls.  Which is very distracting for someone who is easily distracted.  And his striking blue eyes don't help my case at all.  Girls flock to him.  I hope he exercises self-control.  

I have never felt more compelled to go to school with my child to keep him out of harm's way.  But, I restrained myself.  I dropped him off at the front with a good luck.  Here's to hoping...  

***

My second grader is the least flexible of my children.  He has a hard time with transitions.  

He was up early with his backpack ready, his snack packed.  

He was a little touchy before we even left the house.  Then we got to school and found his classroom.  He didn't see any of his friends.  And he freaked out a little.  Truthfully, there were hardly any kids there on time.  

So I tried to distract him, coming up with all the ways the kids could have been kept from coming today.  I thought for sure he would laugh at the fact that half the class had gotten bitten by sharks over summer break.  Not even a smile.  Which is unusual because he shares my very dark sense of humor and usually that would make him laugh.  

His unease was worse than I thought.  And when he is uneasy or things don't go exactly as he envisioned them, he gets aggressive and easily offended.  

When the teacher opened the door and welcomed the kids in, I gave him a big hug and asked him to do his best to be nice today.  We'll see how his day went when I pick him up.    

***

As for my buddy and me, we came home, cleaned the house, and have been trying to catch up on long term stuff.  

And since all of Baby's brothers are at school, apparently it is my job to keep him entertained.  Normally I am persona non grata.  With three big brothers, Mom usually falls to the bottom of the fun scale.  Not today.  Today, my playing on the floor skills are welcomed and sought.  Wonders never cease.

Here is to the new year.  Let's hope it is a good one.