Monday, January 8, 2007

First day of school, and first day back at work Part 1

Well, the husband got off to work, he seems to have slept well. I didn't and every time I was awake, he was snoring, so that is good. The girls got off reasonably willingly this morning, nothing like a well timed bribe. Told them that if they got out the door in time, I would get them a chocolate croissant at the bakery on the way to school. Worked!

The older one looked like she was trying hard not to cry when I left her. She was in the playground and was worried about finding her class. Well, that was her most immediate worry. I hooked her up with a bunch of girls in her grade who she knows from the jazz class they were doing. She looked marginally cheerier. It is harder on her, because so much of what grade five girls do is stand around and talk, and she can't. She isn't very sporty so that isn't such and option.

Went into the class with the younger one. Got her a hook, and a desk, the teacher asked her which of the girls she knew from jazz, and she pointed some out, and she sat my daughter with them. Bless her. We managed to figure out what was going to happen today, and she will give me a copy of the schedule for them. Left her having her neighbour playing with her hair, and smiling a bit. She has to go out to gym. They go to the community center for it and walk right by the house. Two of the girls in her grade live on our street, which will be marvelous once she can talk to them.

I didn't well up until I left.

To boot, they don't have any of the school books they need, as they weren't available. I managed to tell the English teacher this before I left, so the teachers know.

Hope they're doing OK. They come home for lunch for two hours. Dropping them off the second time may be worse or better depending on how the morning went.

My shoulders are about as high as my ears. Weird how we carry tension in our bodies like that.

3 comments:

Beth said...

Can the experiences of our children possibly be harder on the Moms?
Your remark about shoulders and tension hit home.

oreneta said...

Beth: Sometimes I think they are harder on the Moms, I think my kids today were more upset in the morning, but they were pretty content by about 9;30. I however was a wreck until 1.

Bleurgh

kate said...

Hmm, this is tough-- especially what you said about the importance of socializing (talking) for girls that age.

And I hope the teachers start providing written instructions with the work and what-to-bring etc. stuff. It seems that that would be a fairly easy way to aid understanding.