Monday, September 29, 2008

First day jitters

Tomorrow is Captain Adventure’s first day at his new school. He is sleeping peacefully on the other side of the wall.

I…am not so much with the sleeping peacefully thing.

I hope they can see how special he is, those new teachers. That he’s smart and funny and silly and sweet and sensitive.

I hope the other kids are, you know, nice. They’re all like him, which is both good and bad…he can be rather socially insensitive, but at the same time he is a little bit sensitive himself…

I hope he likes it. When we visited, he wanted to stay. He fussed like heck when we made him leave. He wanted to stay. He liked it…then.

But that was a visit. How will he feel about, you know, staying?

Without…me…you know, to translate? To anticipate? To assist? (And with this fine example of motherly smothering, I expose the main reason why homeschooling is not the best option for our poor Captain…)

I hope they have puzzles, at the new school. He likes puzzles, he likes them a lot. He likes to dump the pieces out of the box onto the coffee table and then bellow, “Mommy! Hewlp pwease!”

“Do you need help, honey?”

“Yesh. Sit do’w, mommy! Dat way! Hewlp me!”

And then he proceeds to do the puzzle almost completely without my help at all. Each time he figures out where a new piece goes, he smiles at me slyly, glancing at me sidelong from behind those long dark lashes, and waits for a comment or question. Maybe about how clever he is, maybe about how smart he is to realize that the blue pieces would go together, or perhaps I’ll ask him what those two pieces revealed when put together.

If I say nothing, he’s not shy about soliciting what he wants.

“Hey! Mommy! Ooook! Izzzzzattttt…blue? Izzzzzzzzattttt…Mickey Mouse? Izzzzzzat…good job?”

“That’s a good job all right!” I’ll say, and he’ll shrug modestly and accept my accolades graciously.

“Oh. Dank too.” A good job? Really? You’re too kind…

What if some kid is mean to him, at the new school? What if he gets pushed around on the playground? What if one of the other kids is a biter, or a cookie-stealer, or…

What if you just LET IT GO, ALREADY, and went to bed…because for heaven’s sake, you are accomplishing WHAT, EXACTLY, with all this fretting…?

When I was six-seven-eight years old, I would lie awake all night, the last night of summer. My stomach would jerk and heave. I would think about what I was going to wear, and worry about what the kids would be like, what the teacher would be like, what the year would be like.

It just sort of stopped one year, right around fifth grade. And it stayed gone for the rest of my school days and even those of my other children…until now.

What should he wear tomorrow? I don’t want to dress him up like a little dandy, but then again maybe…jeans and button-down shirt? They look so dashing on him…but perhaps that’s too Yuppie. Yeah, too Yuppie. T-shirt.

…monster truck? pirates? surfboard with ‘ALOHA’ emblazoned on it?

Sigh.

Go to bed, Mommy. He’s going to be fine, for pity’s sake. He’s not Timid Mouse, or Shaking Sammy…he’s Captain Adventure! He’ll go into that school, and he will survey his new realm, and within hours he will have the entire staff wrapped around his little finger.

…as long as he doesn’t go into Supreme Meltdown Mode when they make him leave the puzzle-station…

...oh Lord...

12 comments:

Mary said...

I totally understand your worries. I still get nervous on my son's first day of school each fall, and he is a junior now! There is no doubt in my mind that they are going to love him. I think he will make some nice, new friends too. Best wishes today!

Anonymous said...

My baby starts school next week. I'm a wreck. The older kids somehow didn't worry me this much but my youngest is different and she is starting school early. And she's still my baby. It's so very, very scary. I hope your little boy got along okay.

Anonymous said...

Sending you prayers for a happy and joyous and totally adventurous new day for him! For you, I wish you chamomile tea with a shot of dark rum, to sooth the savage panic. (BTW, I don't think we are given special children and then expected to not worry ourselves sick a day or two out of each year. Imagine how successful you were at that last night!)

Kate Linnea Welsh said...

Good luck, Captain Adventure! Let us know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

Awwww....can't wait to hear all about Captain Adventure's TOTAL CONQUEST of the new school! He will be great, Tama, he will. Deep breath, sweetie.

Anonymous said...

I thought our daughter would get thrown out of her school when we moved her there, her adjustment was so bumpy. Afterwards, they told me that ALL the new kids went through a bumpy adjustment, and she was doing just fine, thank you very much. (Wish they had told me early on!)

The Captain will be fine. Now, about you...do something special for yourself today.

Iron Needles said...

Normal feelings for the situation, for a mother who loves her child. Not saying they are easy feelings to have.

Anonymous said...

Good Job Mom! Being worried about all those things and letting/making him go anyway, that's what Moms are for.

She Knits Socks said...

I feel you anxiety. Just trust that you have made the best decision. Good luck and let us know. Prayers going up for all of you.

(formerly) no-blog-rachel said...

I'm reading this after his first day will have been completed. I hope your (totally normal) fears were unfounded and that he had a wonderful day!

Science PhD Mom said...

I hope you were peppered with fantastic stories about the new school all the way home! Let us know how he did, when you get a moment to catch your breath...*LOL* Ok, well, when you can squeeze us in.

Judy said...

Only normal to have those worries/concerns. You wouldn't be the loving Mom that you are otherwise. Captain A will be just fine. Keep the faith, girl.