The Real Thing

Today was a big day.  Yogi embarked on his first day of school!!!  Everyone keeps reminding me that it's not actually school (it's Mother's Day Out), but I'm stubborn.  And I like school.

Whatever it's called it means that the little guy will be spending each Tuesday and Thursday from 9-2 with two teachers and a handful of other 1 year olds.  My wife and I are excited about this school and his teachers and this opportunity for him to gain a little independence, have new experiences and enjoy himself.

Last Tuesday the three of us went in for a Visiting Day during which we spoke with the teachers and the other parents and Yogi investigated the toys and the classroom and the other kids.  In spite of the fact that most of the other kids were walking AND we found out that he needed to wear shoes to school (What??!!  The kid doesn't walk, what does he need with shoes?), it was a good morning.

This morning was the real thing.  I packed up all of his required gear (diapers, change of clothes, lovey, lunch in approved container) and we walked through the cold rain (is it winter all of a sudden?) to his classroom.  I had decided that for Yogi's sake I would take the calm and confident approach to my departure.  No dragging it out and save the tears for the car.  Of course, nothing ever unfolds in quite the way you plan.  After putting his bag in the Yogi cubby and his lunch in the fridge, I sat him down in front of the mailbox that he seemed to like on Visiting Day and my work was done.  A little girl crawled over immediately and they started opening and closing the mailbox like it was the greatest game ever.  They were so engaged that I decided not to insert myself and instead just slipped quietly out of the room.

I do admit to hanging around the door for a few minutes listening for tears, but none came.  He didn't cry!  And what's even more surprising it that I didn't cry.  Not then and not in the car afterwards.  I did think about him non-stop between drop-off and pick-up, but it was excited/optimistic thinking not crazy worry thinking.

When I picked him up one of the teachers was holding him and he had a passie in his mouth.  We are only doing passie in the crib these days so I braced myself.  In spite of the passie, the teacher said he had had a good morning.  He caught about a 45 minute snooze mid-morning while everyone else played and some kid ate most of his strawberries at lunch, but all else was smooth sailing.  Well, he also refused milk from a sippy, but that is hardly a shocker.  From what I could gather the kids played and ate lunch and do whatever it is kids do during these kinds of programs.

The rest of the afternoon seemed pretty much like any other afternoon so I guess the boy was no worse for wear.  Yay Yogi!!!!

Posted in: Twelve Months