So it’s hard to get melodramatic about the first day of school. Not after that. Not after 2008, either, when I spent the summer trying to make up for the summer of 2007, which I spent in chemo and the house spent under construction. Everything is just too normal now.
When the kids left for school an hour ago, I wasn’t even allowed to walk them to the school bus. They’re middle schoolers now. They don’t need me as much anymore. So I stayed in the kitchen, singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” to them. They laughed and shut the garage door on me. And everything in the house stayed quiet and still.
The Wii controllers stayed on the coffee table.
The blankets stayed on the chairs and the couch.
The counter-top stayed clear of papers, books, paint brushes, shin guards, crumbs...
The sink stayed devoid of dishes and wet Cheerios.
For a moment, I missed my kids, and I missed summer. I missed the posse of boys in my backyard, kicking soccer balls and squirting the hose. I missed watching my Flipcam disappear and come back with funny videos involving bikes and props and costumes. I missed summer.
And then I saw this…
My son's vuvuzela, which he just HAD to get during this summer's World Cup.
And then I decided that, today of all days, I belong somewhere I feel free.
It’s bittersweet. I just had a similar experience parting with my kids at daycare. We did a 180-turn from meltdown and crying to running in the clasroom and barely waving goodbye. Sad
I have such mixed feelings about my kids going back to school. Today was so bittersweet. I can’t believe the first time yours were in school at the same time was when the planes crashed into the twin towers. That must have been so hard. This post was great fun to read — in a happy sad, sad happy way!
I love the article and especially love the pictures, that’s hilarious. How do you think of such funny stuff. I am enjoying my cleared off counters while the kids are back in school. I just love reading your writing.
I loved reading this !
I get to have a day like that tomorrow…. different schools, different times (for the last time… starting next year they’ll both be in the same schoolf or a year and then when oldest boy goes to high school, still same start and end times… but won’t matter much since the schools are right next door to each other) but less hassle… mainly thanks to football practice that runs every night until 5 while youngest gets out at 3