Confession Tuesday

Need to get something off your chest? You've come to the right place. It's Confession Tuesday. Lower your guard for a few minutes and share something about yourself.

Be sure to check out The Confessional to see who's telling all this week.

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This week's confession is all about Alex's first day of preschool. (Pictures at the end of the post.)

Poetry has been on the back burner in anticipation of this day. Alex, also known as "The Bug," has been downright giddy with the approach of school. He was so excited that he wanted to pack his lunch on Saturday for his big day. It was all I could do to stop him from sleeping with his backpack!


So the last few days have been about getting The Bug new sneakers and buying a lunch bag--the little things that make the big day seem like a reality. And he was so ready for it. We held Alex back a year because he seemed a little too sensitive. Though he might benefit from being one of the older kids in the class. And I think that was the right move because he is more than ready for this day.

I have been most concerned for Ella, his younger sister. As someone who grew up without siblings, I have a new understanding of this dynamic because I have the privilege of watching these two fight, argue, snatch toys out of each other's hands, say "I'm sorry," share, hug, laugh--daily! What was she going to do now without her partner in crime?

Yesterday, I was up at 5:30 a.m. (Ella was up at 5 a.m., of course!) Even with this much lead time, it was still chaotic. We had Alex's favorite breakfast: pancakes, bacon, and strawberries. Admittedly, I burned the first batch of bacon so now our house smells like burnt bacon. Tim's brother, Dennis, came to witness the madness. It's a miracle we we able to get the kids a quarter of a mile down the street to school with five minutes to spare.

And then he crossed the entrance and that was it. Tim, Ella, and I watched the other kids line up, some missing their parents more than others. The Bug was reserved. He tends to be quiet in new situations, getting a feel for the scene. But once he gets his bearings he's a live wire! I imagined his day as one of meeting his classmates and teachers, and learning the new routine.

As Alex left and we walked back home, Ella cried--and she did enough for all of us. But soon after Tim took Ella to her first Teeny Tiny Tumblers class at our local YMCA and all was right with the world.

When we picked his up, Alex had a huge smile on his face. Ella was the first to give him a hug, and then he gave me a hug--not the obligatory hug but a real "I missed you" hug. On the walk home, The Bug turned to me, with his big "love crumb" eyes and said, "I'm a student now!"

And so it begins ...