Preschool Beginnings

As I sit here drinking warm cider about to bite into a powdery donut that will be entirely too messy for a blog post, I still find it hard to believe that I have a preschooler.

Nervous, anxious, and excited about Marty's first day months beforehand, it had finally arrived last Monday. The previous day I had set out his first day of school clothes--an adorable orange, blue and white button-down mint-condition find from a garage sale down the street paired with a dark blue tee and dark blue jeans. I had planned to spike his freshly cut hair. Add to that sweet package his brand new, glistening Mickey Mouse backpack and he was certain to steal hearts walking through the doors that day. I was so excited to take a picture of him on his first day of school; it was going to be great! I just knew I would break down crying as I left him with his teacher and his new class so I had asked a friend to meet me outside for moral support and to help me with my little one waiting in the car.

Before...

However, the first day of school started out nothing like I had envisioned it. I tried to spike Marty's hair and he would have none of it, slapping his head and patting it down after getting it just right. Once or twice I had to fix it but he would run away upset and dive into the arm chair, flattening it worse than before. Then it was time to go and I had to pull him away from a toy he was intently playing with. You would've thought I cut his arm off because a massive melt-down erupted complete with headbanging against the floor and wall (not me, although...). My picture-perfect moment turned into a ridiculous battle of will. I simply gave up after attempting to get him to "smile for the camera"--which was just not going to happen. Defeated physically and emotionally, I nearly melted into the drivers seat and simply prayed for God to just "help." Walking Marty into school produced no relief as I tried to sit him with his class in the hallway and he decided that was also not in his morning plans. I left him to sit with his teacher who assured me he would do great.

...after!

 Where were the bittersweet tears about my baby, my firstborn, going off to school without me? I was too worn out to cry and if I were to have had any tears that morning they would've been tears of frustration, not joy. After that sort of morning, I needed a little break! A coffee run and some retail therapy was in order.

I was ready to pick up my boy and hear about his day.  Hopefully I would find him better off than I left him. His teacher was right, he did just fine complete with good listening skills! We took his first day photo at the end of the day, where he proudly displayed hi backpack for the camera.

Good reports kept coming about how he was getting more used to the routine at school, which of course made me feel more at ease. At the end of the week I had dropped him off just as his class was getting ready to go to their room. He looked a little unsure about joining them as I left. I hoped he would walk nicely for them and not do one of his sit-and-stay protests in the middle of the hallway, so I emailed the teacher to be sure. She reported back that he joined the class walking rope with no problem, found his cubby in the room and unloaded his backpack and got ready for breakfast.

The tears finally came. My little boy was growing up!

I knew he would do good in preschool and I was excited he was taking to it so quickly. The results were evident at home to, when I didn't have to tell him to put his shoes away or where his backpack goes.

I am still anxious about potty training, cup drinking (and by the way, his preschool teacher welcomed his sippy cup with no problem whatsoever), counting, ABC's and the like. I am afraid of the testing and what placement he will have at the end of the school year. I am hoping his peers will spur him on  and teach him what they know while also learning a great deal from him. I heard his class coming down the hallway to drop him off to me and his little classmates were calling his name, encouraging him to hold on to the walking rope.

My prayer is that preschool will challenge him reach up to the next level of learning and he will have fun while doing it. I expect great reports in the months to come and look forward to seeing how he's changed and grown by the end of the year.~*