The First Day of School (?)

Today is the first day of school for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in my district. My youngest is starting school this year, and is pretty excited about carrying a backpack and riding a bus. He was incredibly jealous when his brothers started last week; he actually stole Middle Child's backpack and hid it in protest.

He was at my bedside promptly at 6am. School doesn't start until 9, but he's too little to tell time, so he won't have to die...this time, anyway.

K: "Good morning, bubba! Ready to go to school today?"
YC: gurgle...burp...whimper
K: "uh oh..."
YC: "BLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"


Yes, he puked all over my bedspread.

So we cleaned him up, brushed his teeth, gave him a drink and plopped him in front of The Wiggles to calm him down. It's ok, first day jitters, probably a fluke. He can probably still go to school.

7:30am

K: "Feeling better, pumpkin?"
YC: whimper...burp...
K: "Get the bucket."
YC: "BLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"


After the second showing of "The Exorcist", he seemed really ok. Talking, laughing, stuffing his face at breakfast, torturing his brothers and chewing their legos...perfectly normal. Maybe I'll bring him in late, it's a shame for him to miss his first day.

I took his temperature at 9:30, he's up over 100. So much for that idea. The dreams of my first child-free/husband-free day in 7 years, shattered...well, postponed until tomorrow.

I called the school, concerned that they would be wondering where he is. Well as it turns out, they never received his registration paperwork and have no idea who he is anyway. The first day of school wasn't meant to be.

The gods must believe it to be in his best interests to spend one more day of carefree youth, watching Dora the Explorer and popping Cheerios into his mouth. Who am I to argue?

I don't know why I was so bent on getting him to school anyway; he's my last to leave the proverbial nest, the baby of the family, hellion of my heart. His transition from "babyhood" to "school-age" is bittersweet, to say the least. I'll miss my alone-time with him; taking him on errands, coloring, cuddling up on the couch to watch Sesame Street...but I can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect of being able to do laundry without coming upstairs to find him knee-deep in the toilet.

Tomorrow, he'll be gone. Today, we watch Dora.

"Swiper, no swiping! Oh wait, you're not black? It's cool."