On The First Day of School

It wasn't as bad as I thought. In fact, to be perfectly honest, it was a great morning. The first day of school has been depressing to me for...gosh, I don't even know how many years at this point. All the way back to the Big Sister starting kindergarten...I distinctly remember dropping her off (she never looked back) and I walked out and cried in my car. Fast forward to this morning...I woke The Boy up early and we discussed how neither of us had gotten much sleep. We decided we were nervous and anxious and excited ("Mom, what are you nervous about? You're just dropping us off). We had a lovely breakfast together...a new rule I have implemented. Breakfast must be eaten at the table without ESPN or cartoons. Shockingly, he never complained, but chatted about the upcoming day. Little One was still sleeping because she only had Open House today at a later time. Now I am well aware that today's adrenaline probably played a part in the smoothness of the morning, but I am saying a little prayer that this is a routine that we can all adjust to. Is it too much to hope that all mornings can be this happy and upbeat? Probably...but one can always be hopeful on the first day of school.

Little One had the choice of being dropped off, or having me walk her in. I told her that if I walked her in, she wasn't allowed to abandon me and order me to leave when she spotted her friends. "I Won't!" she promised. The minute she hit the steps and saw all of her mother-less friends, she gave me the look and whispered "You can go now....". Big surprise. So I waited back...but still got my peak of her in the room. And then, as I was leaving, I spied The Boy outside on his break...and he waved to me with his big goofy grin...and I was proud of myself for not bursting out in tears.

And so this morning, as we start a new year, I am hopeful that it will good one for all of us. The Rebel , who I am re-naming The Senior, is also preparing to start school. She called discussing schedules and classes and professors...and then said "I feel like I've been going to school my whole life." I had to laugh to myself...because in fact, she has been going her whole life. And I wish her good luck this year, because being a senior in college is exciting, yet daunting. For next year, there will be jobs to pursue and life becomes a bit more challenging in some ways.

So until tomorrow, with the hope that every morning can go as well as this one did...