First Day of School... EVER

Dear Lion,

You had your first day of School today.  It didn't go off quite as I planned but I think a lot of peoples plans got a little messed up today.  You woke up bright and early, like usual, but you and Dragon played in your room quietly until I came and let you know I was up.  WOW, that was a very responsible thing to do, perhaps just the thought of going to school was changing you?  You were excited already.  "Guess what, Lion" I said and you gave me a big, huge, enormous grin and told me "I start school today!"

Things took longer than they should have for us to all get ready but I still made sure you knew when to eat which food in your lunch bag, that you had spare clothes if you needed them, remind you of your teachers name and have a little chat to you about how proud I am of the boy you are growing up to be.

It was POURING down with rain and we all scuttled to the car and drove ever so slowly to Grandma's house to park the car.  We had to wait for Daddy to get there with his car so he could look after Dragon and Monkey while I walked you to school (because Grandma wasn't home today).  Daddy got there eventually and we grabbed all your stuff and set off.  We had to walk around lots of puddles because of the rain and some we had to pick the shallowest spot to tiptoe through.  You thought it was great, I just worried that you would end up with water in your shoes!  I wanted to hold your hand and you wanted to hold my hand but I had a big arm-load of school supplies to carry, I think it made you a little sad but you didn't say anything, I did manage to get a hand free for you to hold for the last little bit as we approached the school gate.  You were kind of holding your tummy, I checked if you were okay and you weren't sure, this was a new feeling... I think it was the first time you have felt butterflies in your tummy!

We got inside and found your name tag, I got you to help me to put all your stuff away, pencils in the pencil box, packets of paper with all the other packets, scissors in the scissors box... lots of new stationery to start the school year.  I got you to put your lunch box and drink where they belonged and your hat on the rack and we took your bag outside together.  You had to go and sit on the carpet with all the other kids and listen to your new teacher talk about all the wonderful things you would get to do today.  I knelt beside you for a minute, gave you a hug and a kiss and whispered that I loved you in your ear to get a smile on your serious face and then I left.  You looked a little confused sitting there, we hadn't had time to sort through what was going on in your head, you didn't really have a chance to say anything in all the fuss of first day mums and kids.  But I knew you would be okay, you would soon forget that things didn't quite go like we had talked about.  I had a few tears as I walked back to Grandma's house in the rain even though I knew you would be fine.

Dragon kept asking all day if we could go and pick you up from school.  I was eager to get you too!  I knew with all the crazy rain that I needed to leave our house at about 2pm to make sure I had time to walk to school with your brothers and be waiting when school finished.  Time flew until 1pm.  That last hour dragged on for 3 hours I am sure!  We got to Grandma's and I put Dragon in his raincoat, I put the rain cover on the pram, I stashed a towel and your raincoat underneath and put up my umbrella.  After raining all day the puddles were bigger, Dragon had LOTS of fun as we walked along the path, I got frustrated trying to push the pram through the puddles and keep my umbrella over my head... my backside got quite wet, it turns out that a kids umbrella isn't quite big enough for my adult sized butt.  We waited outside your room and I chatted to another mother about her sons first day of school, all the mums were so proud of their kids, just like me!  I snuck a peak into the classroom and saw you dancing to a song with the rest of your class.  Why wont you dance to songs for me?  You are cheeky like that!

Eventually they let the parents come inside and Monkey, Dragon and I went in to wait for you to be told you could go.  I didn't even see you coming but the next thing I knew you were wrapped around my waist excited to see me and tell me about your day.  You gathered your bag and hat by yourself, took of your shoes for the wet walk home and told me all about what you had done today. You told me "I played with the Lego for a bit, then I played with the dinosaurs, then I played with the dinosaurs, then I played with the dinosaurs, then I played with the dinosaurs, then when it was pack up time I helped to pack up home corner because I played there too."  I think you must have liked the dinosaurs.  Your teacher said you had been very quiet and that you had made a new friend, I liked to hear about you making a new friend.

Just as we were outside getting raincoats back on Grandma turned up to help us walk home.  We had been going to go to daddy's work to tell him all about your exciting day but by the time we got back to Grandma's we all needed dry clothes so we thought we had better just go home.  When we got home you let me know a bit more about your day.  There had been singing and eating and playing and reading and one of the toilets overflowed and the teacher had to put a box on it so people knew not to use it!  All very exciting things for your first day of Prep.

You must have been worn out because you took yourself to bed before the end of dinner!  I got you to have a bath first and we had a little chat about tomorrow.  You told me that I had forgotten to put a special note in your pocket and I would need to do that tomorrow.  I hadn't told you that I had wanted to do that but forgot, you just knew it was something that I like to do for you and I know you read the notes I give you because they come home so worn and well read.  Tomorrow I will put a love note in your pocket.  It will say "Dear Lion, I love you.  I am very proud of you.  Love Mummy."

I love you, Lion.

Love Mummy.