Luke's First Day

I had a clingy two year old Luke and was hugely pregnant with Noah three years ago when the school year started. I was helping my sweet friend Rita get her little Aseanti to school that first day. I remember watching a little boy in Aseanti's class cling to his mother and beg her not to leave him in kindergarten. I knew, just knew, that this was where I was headed with Luke. Boy was I wrong. This little champ hopped out of bed as soon as he realized that it was his first day and could hardly hold still to eat, get dressed and head out the door. (As a matter of fact, I would recommend that all parents of two year olds resist the temptation to make predictions about their childrens' future behavior based on what they do as two year olds.) He was thrilled about the prospect of school; excited to be able to eat lunch with the friends he planned to make, anxious to read the Curious George books he saw in the reading corner, and hoping that his teacher would assign him some homework (he's got big plans about the reports he'd like to write).

Can you tell that he was ready to go. I was hard pressed to get the front porch shot before he took off walking.





All the classes lined up in the gym to wait for school to start. When I asked Luke if there was any part of his day that he felt nervous he told me that it was while he was waiting. He didn't see any other boys and wondered if he was in the right class.


Nat's comment to me as we watched Luke leave the gym to go to his class was, "and just like that he walked out of our lives." I responded with, "and into the public school system." It's true in a way, the at home chapter of our lives has come to a close. Instead of the regret and nostalgia I thought I was going to feel I just feel happy and pleased with the little person that Luke has become. Luke and I spent a beautiful five years together. I tried my hardest and I feel I did well at preparing him to participate in the world beyond our home. He's ready. That's a happy feeling.



There were many happy reunions after school. We all missed him and were excited to hear about his adventures.



The report was that he made part of a pinwheel in art class, only managed to eat his apple at lunch time because he ran out of time to eat, made a new best friend whose name he couldn't recall, and played with Justin, the neighbor, at recess. New details emerged slowly and one by one all night as he recounted the day to family members and friends. The only thing that he told me when I picked him up was that school was "great". I can't wait to pick him up today and hear more about this new world, all his own.