A New Adventure

Dear Mr. Mister,

If you read this in twenty years, I want you to know what your first day of school was like.  It was definitely one to remember! 

Since it seemed best to Daddy and me that you wait another year to start preschool, we enrolled you in two classes at the community center: ABC's and Ewey Gooey Science.  We thought it would be great to give you two hours a week by yourself to get used to being away from me and to get some social interaction in a class setting that isn't as intense as preschool.  You and I have talked about it a lot leading up to today and besides your disappointment in not being able to ride a school bus, you have been very excited.  So here goes the story of your first day.

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When you woke up, Daddy accidentally told you to go pick out some clothes for your big first day of class.  I  don't think he thought through what that might entail.  And while I am usually very intentional to let you express yourself freely in what you choose to wear, I wasn't ready to do that for your class yet.  So here is what you chose:  Your swimsuit over your pajamas.  Naturally, a good selection in the eyes of a 3 year old.

You ate some breakfast with your stuffed dog, Pipit (named after our neighbor's dog).

And then somehow I managed to get you dressed in something different before we headed out the door.  You looked so handsome.  We got to the community center and I was the cheesy mom who made you take your picture there. 

We arrived at your class a little early and lingered a little bit, both kind of hesitant to leave each other.  But when the time came to go in, you went right up to your teacher and told her your name in a voice that sounded loud and confident, but wavered just enough for a mommy's ears to hear the nervous undertones.  That's okay, I was nervous too.

I wanted to tell her all about you...what you might do or say or need help with, all of your strengths and weaknesses...but I knew I just needed to let you go and do it by yourself.  So I held back some tears and watched you walk into the classroom so bravely.  I was so proud of you.

Mr. Newton and I went to take a walk at the park nearby.  We missed you.

I came back in between the two classes just to make sure you did okay.  You did great and were excited to stay for the next class.  That was a big relief for me.

When I came to get you after the second class, the teacher giggled as she told me, "He went to the bathroom by himself and took everything off to go.  I'm not allowed to help him with that, so he had to put it all back on by himself too.  And everything is on backwards."

Yep, sure enough, here you are with your shorts on backwards and your shoes on the wrong feet.  

And later I would see that your underwear was inside out too!

But, I am SO proud of you for being such a big boy...so brave and courageous, just like we talked about.

You are excited to go back again next week and you can't wait to ask the kids their names since you didn't talk to any of them this time.  I'm sure it won't be long until you have lots of new friends there.

So, we made it through a big day for both of us.  When I was little, my mom read me some Cabbage Patch Kids books where they talked about adoption day as a happy-sad day.  Happy to be part of a new family, sad to leave the cabbage patch.  Well, I felt a like today was a happy-sad day for me.  Happy to see you growing up into new adventures, but sad to know that it will just go faster from here.

It's a good thing it's only ABC's and Ewey Gooey Science one day a week at the community center.  Our neighbor is headed off to college in a couple days.  I'm glad that can wait!