At Long Last

Once upon a time there was this mom. She was just an ordinary mom, who had two beautiful little girls. The older daughter was going into Kindergarten; the younger daughter going back to Preschool. Now, this mom enjoyed summertime with her two girls. It's always fun to go to the Bunny Fountains and end up getting soaked when you don't wear your swimsuit; or go to the pool at your old apartment complex and swim in the shade on a hot evening; or stay inside with a fan blowing the cold air from the A/C right at you while you watch your kids play with Polly Pockets. But this mom was actually ready to see it all go. She was looking forward to the structure of a school day and a schedule for the week. And, honestly, time away from the drama of her 5-year-old.

The week before school started the older daughter began to lament over the bus ride on the first day of school. Who would she sit by? Where would she go when she got to school? How would she know what to do? There were many tears and outbursts of frustration that her mom and dad wouldn't just drive her on her first day. No amount of reassurance that her close friend was riding the bus with her would soothe her anxiety.

The morning arrived, and the little girl was still as nervous as ever. The parents promised her that if she really was too scared, they would walk her to school; it would be too crazy to drive her. They all left the house early for the bus stop.



In plain view on the way there was the little girl's close friend, waiting with her Dad, at the bus stop.


Some subdued adoration over backpacks and lunch totes was exchanged. Then the moment came. The bus pulled up. And the little girl timidly walked with her friend to the open door, climbed the big steps, and walked down the aisle of the yellow school bus. Finally, she realized that her friend really was going to sit by her. There really was nothing to be afraid of. And it was even kind of exciting!

As the parents and younger daughter looked through the bus window at the new Kindergartener, she smiled a huge smile at them and waved reassuringly. Then the bus drove away.

That afternoon when the mom and younger sister picked up the older daughter at the bus stop, the new Kindergartener couldn't contain her excitement over the first day of school and literally jumped up and down as she recounted:

"It was SO fun! It was SO fun! It was SO fun! We had three recesses! And we drew pictures! And we got to play outside THREE times! And I ate breakfast and lunch! And it was SO FUN!"


The younger sister was happy to have the Kindergartener home with her again.


The mom was happy for the Kindergartener. She knew her daughter would love school and was happy the drama over the bus was over and that they could all just focus on the fun activities at school now.

The mom and younger daughter had some great days at home those first days of school. The mom grew to really appreciate how different the two girls' personalities were, and basked in the calm, quiet, easy-going nature of her younger daughter. They read books, watched PBS Kids, colored, played with toys, and played computer games.

And when the Kindergartener came home each day, it was magical to see the excitement displayed on her face, just as vivid as the day before. She was always happy to tell how her day went, what they did in class, who she talked to, and what events were coming up. The mom loved it, and looked forward to the daily news on the way home from the bus, seeing these exchanges as the highlight of each school day and rejoicing that she is able to be there for her children at their crossroads.


Well, that would have been a happy enough ending, but the drama never ceases with this new Kindergartener. On the second day of school, Mierae got a blister on her hand from playing on the monkey bars. And because she is more afraid that something MIGHT hurt than she is afraid of actual pain, trying to get her to cut off the dead skin so the blister could heal was as easy as asking her to cut off her hand. Add to that her I-don't-know-how-many months of sleep deprivation because she refuses to go to bed at night, and we had screams and shrieks and outbursts and weeping and wailing that night. It was the first time she went to bed at a decent hour, though. She was such a different person the next day.

Her daily accounts haven't always been positive either. One day she told of how she was squished at the lunch table, couldn't open the plastic wrap on her cookie, didn't have enough time to eat before she was scooted out to recess, and another classmate made her mad by saying she wasn't coloring her picture the right way. Well, I felt SO bad about wrapping her cookie in plastic wrap, not knowing she wouldn't be able to open it. She said she was too shy to raise her hand to ask for help, and ended up biting through the package to try to eat it! She'd already had a hard time eating much at all during lunch. Eric and I vowed to only use Ziplock bags or Tupperware containers after that. And lunch has seemed to be better since then.

But then another morning when she was in the tub, she was saying how she hated school because she was there all day until dinnertime and didn't have time to play Polly Pockets anymore.

Sigh.

At least she seems to be happy overall. I'm proud of all she's learning, and that she is following the rules, being a good listener, and a hard worker.

P.S. Here is Mierae the day she hurt her hand (with her crazy playing-in-the-heat-during-afternoon-recess hair), then on pajama party day, and school picture day.