Back to School: Yay! or Nay!

Yesterday was totally YAY IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!  We had laid out clothes the night before.  Backpacks and shoes were properly placed by the back door, and lunch boxes were on the counter waiting to be filled.  All the horrid mom-work was back in the manila folders, signed, dated and duplicated for return to school on Day 1.  The boys got up with only a bit more coaxing than usual, but they did manage to clothe themselves without help and/or whining.

I did not have to be at work at the usual time.  After all, the first day of school is kind of a big deal.  I mean, parents everywhere are doing a happy-dance and wondering how many quickies they can get in between drop-off and work-time.  Only me?  Now that's a damn shame :)

There were no tears.  Only a smidge of clinging from the new kindergartner Stanky.  He balked at dropping his lunch in the bucket with everyone else's, but it wasn't a major roadblock.  A quick karate-inspired pep talk and he was lined up listening to instructions like a champ.

Dramasaur apparently did all but shove Grumpasaur out the door of his classroom.  I guess by 2nd grade, it's all old-hat and you really only need to figure out where to hang your backpack.

Thing was still hanging around, but hey, his "school" is on my work campus, so he finally gets a bit of mommy-time alone. 

I managed to cram 6 of 8 normal hours into about 4, and was only a teensy bit late picking up Stanky.  He bounded from the classroom, resplendent in a tall school-bus-shaped crown proclaiming his course along the road to learning.  He flicked his challenge-coin (a traditional Kindy gift from daddy) like a pro, and eagerly gushed about going to reading, play, group time, play, snack, play, stations/colors, play, sing, eat, play, read, home.  Geez what a life!

He was ecstatic to discover that Drama still had 90 minutes of school left, proclaiming the time a 'Mini-Mommy-Date'.  Now, I'm not sure that a quick trip to TSC for cheap dog-food and a stop at the Johnny for a slushie qualifies as a date, but hey, he's easy to please!

Drama, of course, had to create some.  I had specifically told him I would meet him AT his classroom.  So, of course, he left the room to wander out to the Kiss-N-Ride.  I really hate wandering the school looking for a kid.  But, once he finally decided to head back to his classroom, all was well and he was granted a first-day slushie as well.

Second day - not so stellar.  Grumpy, grouchy, teenager-channeling boys who couldn't seem to find the clothes dangling in their faces, or get the food so sweetly laid out for them to their mouths without whining.  Stanky didn't want to go to school.  Drama thought it was a Nana-day and he'd be staying home.  Thing made a foot-stomping issue out of every-damn-thing. 

I'm so happy to be at work!