There are two lessons I have learned this week courtesy of my oldest son.
1) Motherhood is emotional.
2) School requires way more paperwork than I am interested in filling out.
Monday morning I rolled out of bed, got my boys to school, got a coffee, and headed to our local elementary school to register my pre-schooler for kindergarten. It is a good thing a friend of mine called me and asked about elementary school registration, or I would have totally missed it… Who would think they do it in JANUARY? – Maybe I am just too new to this?
Anyway, I got there with my pile of paperwork documenting my four year olds entire life story. From proof of our address to his birth certificate, and on top of that I had a packet of a dozen papers to fill out once I got there?
My hand hurt like a son of a bitch by the time I left!
Lesson learned — between registering our two year old for daycare/pre-school a couple weeks ago and going through the public school registration process I have met my paperwork quota for 2012 and it is only January 25th.
My other lesson was one of the weepy parts of motherhood we all take a moment, shed a tear, and become incredibly sad that your first born — your baby boy is old enough to actually be going to school. I don’t think it really has clicked for me yet. I don’t think it will till August when I am standing in front of my house getting him onto the big yellow bus and waving to him as he drives off heading to school.
I mean sure he goes to school now, but it is different.
I bring him there.
I pick him up.
It is ONLY three days a week.
There are ONLY 10 kids in his classroom.
There are ONLY four rooms in the school.
It is just different!
I have to say though, I am really happy with the experience overall. Turns out I know the Principal of his school already, the secretaries in the office were amazing, and I was able to meet the school nurse.
In his packet of stuff he got an awesome paperback book about preparing for school too. I really love the way our local school system promotes reading as much as they do.
We are always excited about new books in our house, actually we order from Scholastic through his Pre-school class bi-monthly. They are just such an amazing deal!
Anyway — My first born baby boy is growing up. Even though I know August is a long ways away right now, it doesn’t make my mothering hormones feel any better. Where did the past four years go?