Tobey: First day of school

Today was the day. Tobey's first day of school. Preparations started Sunday after we saw his classroom and met his teachers at a Yew Chung new parent orientation. I felt so new to the whole experience that I almost had to ask Tzielan whether kids in school bring backpacks and had any school supplies (I didn't think preschoolers needed school supplies but then I was wondering what kids had in their backpacks?). Luckily, all those questions were answered at the orientation and I didn't have to seem as ignorant as I was.

So this week has been building up to today. Filling out forms. Packing that backpack (extra clothes). Filling out the "Booklet About Me" with Tobey. Printing out a family picture for the bulletin board. Running the morning routine through our heads to try to get Tobey out the door by 8AM. I think I actually was a little stressed last night preparing.

This morning went smoothly. We took a first day of school picture. (Aside: my photo uploading as been rather spotty because I depend on Tom's work laptop to do it. Note to Tom: can we download photos to somewhere else? I'd like to be able to upload a picture with posts when I post them.) Tobey got a full breakfast before school. We got to school relatively on time.

I was pretty confident that Tobey would adjust just fine to school. The only hesitation was when he cried going into the Pre-K Safari Kids on Sunday, his first day in his new class, and his first show of any kind of separation anxiety since he was 18 mos. But today, he was off and playing before we could say, "Tobey, come take a picture next to your cubby!" We did get that picture, he gave his "homework" to Miss Crystal and off he went again to play. No tears. No looking back.

I was pretty confident that I was going to cry, but alas, Tobey's lack of clinginess gave me no opportunity to really savor the moment and thus wallow in emotion. Instead, we happily saw just about every friend we know whose kid goes to YC. We saw Z at drop off, Tania & Natalie while walking in, Wayne & Joshua while walking out, Minette & Cedric after pick up. Also met Marvin, whose daughter Victoria was in our Little Panda class that I met Minette & Cedric in. Anna (I think?) said our social life would pick up after school starts. So far, it might just happen that way.

I set an alarm on my cell phone to ring in time for me to leave the MTO planning meeting and pick up Tobey at school. But the ring was too soft and while engrossed in Christine Harms' story about her daughter Julia getting engaged (!), I saw the clock was 11:45 already! I picked up Eli from childcare and zipped over to YC to find a flood of parents walking out while I was walking in. Alas, I was the last one to pick up my kid from our class. And on the first day of school. Bad mommy.

Tobey was a little quiet when I picked him up and I felt bad. But I didn't want to necessarily make a big deal of it lest he also wallow in his emotion and end up crying. Instead we found Minette & Cedric volunteering in the library and walked out with them. Then Mr. Chatty talked a little about school when we were driving home so I figured emotional trauma was averted.

So I think 2 days a week is a good schedule to start with. I don't know if I can handle more, compressed morning routine and all. Most of our week will look the same (park date tomorrow, playgroup Monday) with the new addition of school during the times which has been when I've been having June come or he would have gone to MTO anyway. And even though I was late in picking him up, he still wanted me to give him a bath tonight. He was little Mr. Independent at school, but it's always nice to still be wanted by your own kid.