Jitters

Tommy starts school tomorrow, but he had a play date to meet his teachers and class today.

And so I couldn't sleep last night.  Tell me what that's about?!?

I realized on Friday, when I finally went to wash his uniform and get it all set, that I don't have one part of his uniform (the uniform company's fault, not mine), and hopefully I'll have it by Thursday which is when I need it, but do you think that's why I dreamed last night that it was raining and he didn't have a coat he could wear?

So then, this morning I woke up and went for a run, and got to stay with the kids until 9:30 when Mandy came and Tommy and I left for school.  (It should be noted that a full hour of this time was spent with Tommy throwing a fit about his uniform:  "I HATE MY UNIFORM!  THIS DOES NOT LOOK COOL! I JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT!"  I took a movie which I will try to post.)  We spent the walk talking about "the Fighter", which Eli and I watched (and both really, really liked) last night and had to return to the library on our way to school. (Don't worry; I didn't explain Dickey's crack addiction.)

Anyway, we arrived and there was a throng of parents with their kids and tears immediately popped into my eyes because honestly, pinch-me-I'm-dreaming, how can he possibly be big enough to go to school?  HOW?  So I got it together and he met a couple of kids as we waited, and then they opened the door and we all marched in and I could barely greet the head teacher because I knew I'd begin to cry, and on this went.  We got into the classroom which is lovely and has (1) a tub marked and containing "legos", (2) a tub marked and containing "little legos", (3) a tub marked and containing "vehicles," and also had each table set with various art activities (play-doh, coloring).  There is also a store in the back of the room which Tommy calls a fruit shop, a computer on a low table with two tiny chairs in front of it, and, an electronic white board at the front.  When we met Miss Jo, and she asked what activity Tommy would like to do, he pointed at the electronic white board.

Which figures because I'm certain it's mostly for adults, would create the biggest disruption in the already chaotic classroom, and, well, did look very cool.  It is broken at the moment - to be fixed this afternoon - so he was told that he could not use it, but that she had a computer and should she show him how to use it?  As Miss Jo and Tommy headed back toward the computer, I shouted good bye and left, still feeling like I was going to cry.  I told myself to appreciate his independence -- it was so impressive, as was his willingness to really explore that classroom.  Most kids sat down at a table and started coloring or play-doh or whatever, but my guy was determined to know every inch of that place as quickly as possible.  Other kids were crying.  Other kids were being held by their parents.  And mine was following the teacher back to the computer, and could not have cared less about my presence.

When I picked him up two hours later, he sauntered out of his classroom with the front of his shirt tucked into his shorts (must've gone potty) and something white spilled all over his navy shorts and said, "Hi, Mom, I had a great time at my big boy school."

And that is the beginning of this story.