It’s literally 4:30 am as I write this. My 9 year old woke up, saying he had a dream and couldn’t go back to sleep, asking to crawl into bed with use, wanting to snuggle and be reassured. He kept tossing and turning, so I left him in bed with Dad and came downstairs, now fully awake and somewhat annoyed myself at losing extra sleep I really need.
It’s the (very) early morning of the first day of school.
I’m sure this is all about subtle anxiety about a new school year and the end of summer. We tried to get the kids on schedule a week in advance this year, but failed miserably due to a bout of stomach flu. Now the nausea is giving way to butterflies, especially since John missed the “meet & greet” for the first time ever. (None of the other parents would’ve ever forgiven me for bringing this flu into their homes!)
I always loved the first day of school, especially the joy of getting new stuff- the smell of a brand new box of crayons, sharpened pencils, everything clean and new- it was a fresh start. Now as a parent, I still love it, because I know it means new adventures for the kids, and a fresh start for them, as well as a chance for me to find a little more of myself with an empty house, 8:30 to 3:30 pm, daily.
The lunches are packed. The backpacks stand near the door, ready. The camera has fresh batteries installed. The clothes were laid out last night, with care and purpose. Now if John can get on the bus without looking hung over from lack of sleep, we’ll all be in good shape.
And maybe I can squeeze in a nap, just like the nursery school kids, a little later this morning.
[tags]kids, parents, school, first day, jitters, love, snuggling, comfort, anxiety, crayons, pencils, backpacks[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by turbojoe, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
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