Airing My Laundry, One Post At A Time...: Tommy's First Day of Kindergarten

Um.

Who told Tommy it was okay for him to grow up?

I mean how did he go from this:

To This:

(He said he was playing it cool.)

So today Tommy started Kindergarten.

But let me back up.

Last night we went to Back to School night to meet his teacher and see his classroom.

I stupidly carried Natalie in with her carseat. Which isn't light.

I just thought she'd be more comfortable in there since she likes playing with her overhead toy.

And she enjoyed playing with her overhead toy but my arm felt like it was going to break off.

Once again, there were husbands all over the place.

One took pity on me and quickly held open the school doors.

Tommy's classroom was all the way down the hall.

The very last one.

Of course.

And there were tons of people so that was pleasant walking through while grasping a baby who seems light but is very very heavy when placed in the carseat.

Of course I got behind people who wanted to walk very very slowly.

I finally made it to the classroom and the teacher was in the doorway. She knelt down when Tommy came in and said, "Well hello there. I'm *Insert name here*. What's your name?"

"Tommy," replied my very loud boy who had suddenly turned a little shy.

We were given a sheet of paper of things the teacher wanted us to find. First Tommy had to find his name and place the namecard down at the table where he wanted to sit the next day.

Tommy quickly found his name.

"Look Mommy here it is!" he said proudly.

And then he found a place where he wanted to sit.

Then we had to find his Cubby.

"I found it!" Tommy said brightly, pointing to his name above it.

Then we found the little bathroom. Too cute, it has this tiny toilet. Probably wouldn't even hold my left butt cheek.

Then the calender, to make sure the teacher had written down his birthday correctly.

While we were looking around the room some more children entered. Tommy shouted, "Look Mommy it's Elizabeth! Hi Elizabeth! It's me! Tommy M****!"

She was in his preschool.

Then someone else from his preschool came in and Tommy said again, "Look Mommy it's AJ. Hi AJ! It's me! Tommy M****!"

After that the teacher handed us another sheet of paper that instructed us to find the gym, the art room, the music room...

UGH.

More walking with the heavy heavy carseat.

I suppose I could have dropped off the carseat in the car. But Natalie was amusing herself with the overhead toy. And I was worried she'd get pissed if I took her out.

So she remained inside.

At least my arm got a work out.

The gym was all the way down the other end.

So back through the hoards of people.

We found all the rooms and then walked all the way back to Tommy's classroom for his treasure since he found all the other rooms.

He got a lollipop.

Which he doesn't even like.

My kid is weird.

He doesn't like much candy. In summer school the bus driver always gave tootsie rolls to the children on Fridays and Tommy would never eat his. The bus driver was all, "He's the first kid that didn't chow right down on the candy..instead he just held it the whole way home.."

I explained that he's really picky about what he eats and explained that the chewiness of the candy probably turned him off.

Because of his sensory processing disorder, he can't handle certain textures.

So yeah.

Tommy was so excited about the school.

So much so that he didn't fall asleep until after ten!

I went to bed at ten and he was still wide awake.

Reminded of me Stephanie on Full House.

When she started Kindergarten.

Then when I woke up this morning he was already awake.

I had laid out an adorable polo shirt for him to wear but he was all, "I want to wear my school shirt, Mommy."

I think the days of him wearing what I want him to wear are fading..

I nearly cried as he got dressed. Tommy noticed and asked what was wrong.

"Mommy is just going to miss you," I explained.

"Oh," Tommy replied. "Is it time to go to school yet?"

He was just ready to go!

I fixed him some breakfast and he pulled on his shoes.

"Is it time to go to school yet?"

Finally it was time.

We walked to the bus stop and waited.

A bunch of other children showed up.

One was all, "What are you doing here?" to me.

I explained that Tommy was only five and that I felt comfortable waiting with him.

"Oh. Well I'm in first grade. I'll watch him. You can go home," I was told.

Um.

No kid.

All the other children were calm.

My kid was bouncing around.

When the bus came I told him to wait in line and he did.

Right before he got on he shouted out, "Mommy. I'll miss you, too! I will! Bye!"

*Sniffs*

And then he was gone...

Tom came home a few minutes later and I was practically in tears on the couch.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Tommy is gone," I explained.

"So? Enjoy the silence. I mean I'll miss him too but geez the kid is loud. Enjoy the silence."

Men!

This is his schedule: