Bennett's first day of kindergarten

I had a moment before the house woke up. The quiet gray outside my window fit the mood. This is the first day of kindergarten for Bennett. The first day of many hours we will spend apart. Up till now we've always been together basically. Where does he end and i begin anymore? I quietly sat next to him and watched him sleep. I prayed earnestly for him. Oh! the days, hours and minutes spent so closely with him...the 5 years i got to be home beside him, and suddenly it's time .

"Time to wake up "...i whisper to Bennett.

His scraggly hair and sleepy eyes greet me and he immediately says  "Kindergarten, kindergarten hooray!"

 I guess he's ready.....

I can't stop thinking about this little "home body" of mine who loves to stay put. I can't stop thinking of all the days i've been right by his side and now of all the hours we will spend apart. I can't stop thinking......

Tears begin to fall....

As Bennett inhales his morning cereal i hear him tell Amos "You can play with my toys today, but you can't break any of them except the legos."

 Bennett tells me he wants to wear the dark blue shirt to school, but i like the lighter blue one and dress him quickly thinking he won't really care. He usually doesn't. A few minutes later he yells  "Mom, i wanted the DARK blue shirt". I laugh and change him . "Do i look nice mom?"  To make the moment sweeter he then requests to slick back his hair like Aunt Christiana taught him this summer.

So here we go, out the door with his "DARK" blue shirt and slicked back hair and a backpack so large papa said it looks like a NASA space jet pack on his back.

At school through the red doors, down the hall, and into Mrs. Walker's lime green  room we find Bennett's chair. Amos has caught a roly poly in his hand that he wont let go of as i try to find Bennett's name. Finally i find it .......in the VERY BACK of the classroom.

I wanted to yell " No one puts baby in the corner!"......but i refrained and smiled and tucked Bennett warm and cozy in the chair (in the BACK of the classroom.) He was happy and already making a joke to a new friend.

I lingered a while and let the tears come. I could sense that the crying mama beside him was cramping his kindergarten style. So i hugged Bennett tight and gathered my things ( Amos and the roly poly) ....and left.


When Amos and i got home we had smoothies. I stared at the boy across the breakfast table from me and realized "i've never spent much time alone with Amos". So i raised my glass to his and said "Here's to you and me kid".....to which Amos replied "Cheers!" ( i love this kid)

Yep, that's kinda how the first day of school went. When i picked up Bennett from school the first thing he said to me was "i love school".

When he got home he began singing a song called "i love Lockland...i love Lockland". Guess the first day went as good as could be expected.

Here's to the year ahead my boys!!...."Cheers".....