School and Siblings

Here are the obligatory First Day of School photos for all the grandmas that read this here blog.

Lucy is so stinkin' cute I think I might die.  I love that while all the other little girlfriends in her class were dressed up in the latest fashion trends, she was still rockin' her old school peter pan collar and puff sleeves.  Oh Lucy girl, don't ever grow up.

Things were not very stressful this year because everyone is going to the same school as last year albeit a few schedule changes.  So I totally thought I had a handle on my emotions as I walked my big first-grader to school for the first day. (Click to see my Instagram video.)

We gathered on the plaza with the rest of the school and found his teacher's line.  William is never afraid or scared to try new things but he always has just a hint of nerves on the first day of anything, especially if he doesn't see anyone he knows right away.  He doesn't have very many friends from last year's class in his class this year so I was sensing just the slightest bit of anxiety from him.  But we found his line, I gave him a hug and a kiss and then stepped back to congregate with the rest of the parents as we awaited the ringing of the first bell. 

I stood back and watched him anxiously fidget from afar.  And then the greatest thing in the world happened.  His kindergarten teacher from last year, the most magical teacher ever, tapped William on the shoulder.  William turned around and lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of her.  She cupped his face in both her hands, kissed him on the cheek and then enveloped him in a hug and wished him well in first grade.

At that point I was thanking Jesus that I thought to put my sunglasses on that morning.

I wasn't crying because I was sad my little bird was leaving the nest again.  Yes, the first day of school is ever the reminder that there's no going back.  Kindergarten last year, first grade this year, second grade next year, and on and on.  But that's not what had me emotional.

As I watched my little guy and this teacher he so loves much I was emotional because I'm so thankful.  I'm so thankful for this beautiful boy who loves, LOVES school.  I'm so thankful for this wonderful school that feels like I'm sending William off to the comforts and love of Grandma's house every time I say goodbye in the morning.  Because that magical teacher from last year?  She is no exception from the rest of the faculty and staff.  I'm so thankful Brian and I have found a way to afford this school and this house that's so close to that school.

This year Lucy is attending afternoon preschool three days a week.  Her school, affiliated and across the street from William's, dismisses at the same time as the big school so much to her delight she gets to walk home with William in the patrol line.  This is a big deal.

Yesterday I stayed close behind with Bobby in the Ergo as I watched the two of them walk hand in hand.  There are quite a bit of kids that walk in the line and they are all running and pushing and making their way down the sidewalk. At one point Lucy got caught up in the shuffle and tripped and fell.  She started to cry and William knelt down to help her up.  Other kids were still trampling by and I heard William shout, "Watch out, guys! This is my sister!"

I melted a little bit.

The summer was long.  And it was hard.  But the day before school started William and Lucy played outside together all day.  They started a flower stand.  They picked a few flowers in the yard, set up a table on the sidewalk and started soliciting poor passersby.  This was an idea thought up and orchestrated all on their own.  There was some bickering about cost and who would get to operate the pretend computer, as most business partners do, but mostly they were getting along beautifully.

I was reminded that even though we all need a break from the closeness of summer and we all need to do our own thing, those two are siblings first.  And that will be forever.