“Happy 1st day of Kindergarten!” Max tore into the bedroom a few minutes before 6 a.m., crackling with the fresh current of a looming, life-changing day; a current that only the final slight hesitation before stepping into his new classroom could hope to ground.
“Yes it is!” I rolled over, scooped my boy up and set him between Cindy and I with the mock ease that seemed to ignore every pound he’d picked up since his first day of pre-school.
We exchanged tickles, cuddles and a few last minute Kindergarten queries, before Mia woke up and ran into the room to join us. We did our best to ignore the tick-tick-tock that had been missing all summer, but soon enough we knew it was time to roll out of bed and into the important day.
The morning’s remainder disappeared like mist disguised as minutes while I did my best to prepare for a weekday away from the desktop. There were no more than a few birdcalls outside the window before I ran downstairs two at a time to capture the last of the at-home Kodak moments before we all piled into the van and headed toward school.
We attended to Mia first, finding out who her teacher was and then walking her to a new and slightly altered routine. We squeezed her tight, told her we were proud and wished her well on her first day of 2nd grade. We then crossed the campus to stand in line with the nineteen other parents, surrendering their five years olds into the arms of another.
“I think my teacher will like me,” Max stood beaming between us.
“Your teacher is going to love you,” we both agreed.
Ten minutes later, at approximately 9:09, on 9/9/09 we were singing BUENOS DIAS (our children attend a dual immersion program where the majority of their day is delivered in Spanish) and waving adios to our boy who, I believe we would both agree, had never looked quite so big.
Cindy slipped her fingers between mine and the two of us stepped out of the classroom and into the first few seconds of our brand new life.
We were eager to indulge in our first morning together with a screening of Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s latest. The blood splattered contrast to the early tenderness of the day was of course my idea, but Cindy was all smiles nonetheless. It turned out that the 10:00 a.m. showing was a misprint, so the two of us spent out first hours alone strolling through the bookstore, wondering out loud and wandering without direction while sipping from a cup of coffee that wasn’t brewed by us.
The day sped by a little too fast and soon enough it was time to pick up Max from his first abbreviated day. He bounded out of class, even happier than when we had left him, and enjoyed our hour alone (a circumstantial scarcity for him that his sister never saw for the first two and a half years of her life).
At no time during the day was our new transition more evident than when we picked up Mia. Her hand fell into her brother’s and the two of them started prattling like instant conspirators. He the intrepid explorer and she the wily adventure who had been there before. As for Cindy and I, we’ve no Lewis or Clark to follow. Our future is all frontier, but we are packed, ready and eager to explore.
See you next week!
Writer Dad
Check out “The 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging,” a letter I wrote to myself and posted at the Inkwell!
About Sean Platt
Excellent, what a top first day.
Well that’s two Maxs who have enjoyed, and survived their school beginnings. Our experience reads very similar to you, bigger smile at the end of the day, but no protestations about not going again. Great stuff.
Excellent, what a top first day.
Well that’s two Maxs who have enjoyed, and survived their school beginnings. Our experience reads very similar to you, bigger smile at the end of the day, but no protestations about not going again. Great stuff.
Max looks so very handsome on his first day of school. What a cutie! That’s great that he was so excited about school. There’s always something so magical about that first day of school every year. I still love it as a teacher.
Now Mia will have a cohort to speak Spanish with when she doesn’t want the folks to know what they’re talking about–heh heh heh. :)
Unfortunately, my son approached the first day of school the way the rest of us would approach a coffin. No matter how exciting the teacher, there’s still that “four walls” thing that drives him nuts.
Max looks so very handsome on his first day of school. What a cutie! That’s great that he was so excited about school. There’s always something so magical about that first day of school every year. I still love it as a teacher.
Now Mia will have a cohort to speak Spanish with when she doesn’t want the folks to know what they’re talking about–heh heh heh. :)
Unfortunately, my son approached the first day of school the way the rest of us would approach a coffin. No matter how exciting the teacher, there’s still that “four walls” thing that drives him nuts.
I hope you’ll let us know what his precious first impressions have been! The teachers at his school are lucky to have the both of them there as well as your support. As a family, you’re a breath of fresh air. (The photo’s gorgeous, by the way.)
My son has loved the transition to high school and looks about two feet taller!
I hope you’ll let us know what his precious first impressions have been! The teachers at his school are lucky to have the both of them there as well as your support. As a family, you’re a breath of fresh air. (The photo’s gorgeous, by the way.)
My son has loved the transition to high school and looks about two feet taller!
What a wonderful first day! :)
What a wonderful first day! :)
Yikes the memory bank has pushed pools of salty droplets from the tear ducts. I feel so proud and sentimental. A new chapter to write and old ones to reread. Randi’s right. We need to get cracking on the Spanish, because with two children tearing it up in another language I feel a whole new wave of communication to wrangle and manipulate. Jedi mind powers and Spanish. Ready to double dutch?
Yikes the memory bank has pushed pools of salty droplets from the tear ducts. I feel so proud and sentimental. A new chapter to write and old ones to reread. Randi’s right. We need to get cracking on the Spanish, because with two children tearing it up in another language I feel a whole new wave of communication to wrangle and manipulate. Jedi mind powers and Spanish. Ready to double dutch?
No surprise, of course, but Sean, you’re such a great story-teller. It’s a rare quality, really…which is strange, and sad. Yours is a great story, each day, each chapter, but yours isn’t the only one. To take nothing away from you Sean, we all have sometimes glorious, other times sad, always inspiring stories to share. But we’ve forgotten how, and why, to tell them. We’re too far removed from the days when our very sustenance required every ounce of passion/effort/determination/love we had. In those times, it must have felt natural to tell our tale…it was likely as much a part of the day as the story itself.
Thanks for getting me thinking, of you and yours, yes, but of me and mine as well. And of paths yet to travel that may, one day, bring us back ’round to the best of times.
No surprise, of course, but Sean, you’re such a great story-teller. It’s a rare quality, really…which is strange, and sad. Yours is a great story, each day, each chapter, but yours isn’t the only one. To take nothing away from you Sean, we all have sometimes glorious, other times sad, always inspiring stories to share. But we’ve forgotten how, and why, to tell them. We’re too far removed from the days when our very sustenance required every ounce of passion/effort/determination/love we had. In those times, it must have felt natural to tell our tale…it was likely as much a part of the day as the story itself.
Thanks for getting me thinking, of you and yours, yes, but of me and mine as well. And of paths yet to travel that may, one day, bring us back ’round to the best of times.
I just wish Max was in my kindergarten class. I would have loved to have him for a student and you and Cindy for room parents!! I bet along with calling you Writer Dad, I could call you Cody Dad, reader Dad, and go get the teacher lunch Dad! ;-)
I just wish Max was in my kindergarten class. I would have loved to have him for a student and you and Cindy for room parents!! I bet along with calling you Writer Dad, I could call you Cody Dad, reader Dad, and go get the teacher lunch Dad! ;-)
You know what is interesting? I follow about a million blogs and as far as my husband is concerned, it’s all one big blog blur. He sort of tunes it out. But for some reason, he remembers you and he remembers WriterDad.
Every once in a while he’ll ask me a question about “the blog with the kids” and what you’re all up to.
I think it’s because he was in the room with me each time I’ve watched the videos with Max and Mia. They were so adorable, they were so interesting and funny, that out of everything I follow – he actually remembers them the best.
You know what is interesting? I follow about a million blogs and as far as my husband is concerned, it’s all one big blog blur. He sort of tunes it out. But for some reason, he remembers you and he remembers WriterDad.
Every once in a while he’ll ask me a question about “the blog with the kids” and what you’re all up to.
I think it’s because he was in the room with me each time I’ve watched the videos with Max and Mia. They were so adorable, they were so interesting and funny, that out of everything I follow – he actually remembers them the best.
I love reading your expereinces, as it makes me smile, occasionaly laugh, sometimes cry, and always sends me back in reverie. Enjoy your new found freedom, may it be filled with paying work, fulfilling work, and some downright reckless frivolity too.
I love reading your expereinces, as it makes me smile, occasionaly laugh, sometimes cry, and always sends me back in reverie. Enjoy your new found freedom, may it be filled with paying work, fulfilling work, and some downright reckless frivolity too.
Single Parent Dad: A good day squared. : > ) It is such a brittle time. I know from the things I’ve read that you have written, your Max was in wonderful hands and he was lucky to have you walk him to the door.
Randi: He was SO excited you wouldn’t believe it. You would think we told him he would be spending the entire day eating chocolate ice cream instead of learning another language. He loves his teacher and feels so ready to face the school year. And yep, you’ve got it, Cindy and I need to step up our game or face the reality of constantly being outwitted by our offspring.
Janice: He was so so so thrilled. He adores his teacher and said that he didn’t have any difficulty understanding what she wanted him to do. That was the biggest relief since the first days of kindergarten are already a transition without the added variable of a second language. I know what you mean about their size too, both our progeny look like they added at least a handful of inches.
Marilyn: Thanks, Marylin. It did have its own bit of magic.
Cindy: No kidding, my lady. We should start watching the Simpsons in Spanish. One a night, we’ll be fluent by the end of the school year. What do you say?
Jeb: I loved this comment, Jeb. It was my absolute pleasure.
Laurie: I would gladly get you lunch Laurie, and I’m sure you would have been a sterling teacher for my only son. : > )
Hayden: That is just too too sweet, Hayden. That totally made my Sunday when that comment came in. Tell your husband I said thank you for the interest.
Trina: I hope it is filled with all three of those in equal measure. Thanks Trina, I’m thrilled you like reading my experiences. That’s the kind of thing that gives the writing purpose, beyond getting it out of my head and onto the page.
Single Parent Dad: A good day squared. : > ) It is such a brittle time. I know from the things I’ve read that you have written, your Max was in wonderful hands and he was lucky to have you walk him to the door.
Randi: He was SO excited you wouldn’t believe it. You would think we told him he would be spending the entire day eating chocolate ice cream instead of learning another language. He loves his teacher and feels so ready to face the school year. And yep, you’ve got it, Cindy and I need to step up our game or face the reality of constantly being outwitted by our offspring.
Janice: He was so so so thrilled. He adores his teacher and said that he didn’t have any difficulty understanding what she wanted him to do. That was the biggest relief since the first days of kindergarten are already a transition without the added variable of a second language. I know what you mean about their size too, both our progeny look like they added at least a handful of inches.
Marilyn: Thanks, Marylin. It did have its own bit of magic.
Cindy: No kidding, my lady. We should start watching the Simpsons in Spanish. One a night, we’ll be fluent by the end of the school year. What do you say?
Jeb: I loved this comment, Jeb. It was my absolute pleasure.
Laurie: I would gladly get you lunch Laurie, and I’m sure you would have been a sterling teacher for my only son. : > )
Hayden: That is just too too sweet, Hayden. That totally made my Sunday when that comment came in. Tell your husband I said thank you for the interest.
Trina: I hope it is filled with all three of those in equal measure. Thanks Trina, I’m thrilled you like reading my experiences. That’s the kind of thing that gives the writing purpose, beyond getting it out of my head and onto the page.