First Day Of School - 2006

Every year this day comes. Every year, at the end of that day, I'm glad it's gone! In a world of butterflies and soft gentle breezes where the kids are playing happily but quietly. In a world where life glides gently through the day and I am not counting the minutes till naptime or bedtime, there lies my thoughts...a happy place. As my thoughts run through warm sandy beaches and White Chocolate Mocha's, I am snapped back to reality by the familiar screaming that is coming from my two year old....NO! Aaron do it!

I had planned a fun day of school today because that's what I wanted my kids to grab hold of. School is fun and can be fun. Every year, our first day has bottomed out with screams, crying and not a whole lot of fun...but this year was going to be different! I woke to sunshine which I thought was a good sign that at least I was going to be in a good mood. I got up, got my shower and felt good about the day ahead. I was right on schedule.

We started off the day creating a 'first day of school' poster which was to exhibit the beautiful hands and feet of all five of my children. They were working so well together than bam....the two minute brief interlude of happy sounds quickly turned to sobbing. Aaron who is two wanted to check out what Brad and Grace were working on and in the process smudged Grace's hand print.


Noticing that her creation was now not perfect sent her into a crying fit sending her running into the other room slumped over on the couch. As I sat there watching this happen before my very eyes, I thought to myself.....this is not happening. Please not in the first five minutes of our day. But there it was.....reality.

Today is also Ryan's first day of kindergarten. He loves to draw and color but not today. He told me...maybe later. Again, I thought to myself...this is not happening. I have the letter 'A' printed out and ready to color. We are going to glue it on our alphabet poster. Doesn't that sound like fun?? Not today, Mom...my blood has a headache. My response was less than patient...how about we do our school work so we don't have to talk to the principal. Then the crying began. Aaron decided he wanted to do Ryan's school work. The fun letter 'A' that was there to color, paste and cut out was now marred but yet again....by the two year old! Let me do it, Aaron says. Ryan was not in agreement which sent both to the floor in WWF style wrestling.

Our first day of school has come to a close because I am done for today. I need to save some fun for tomorrow. Besides, Kara is finally sleeping, Ryan is upstairs taking a nap, Aaron and Grace are preoccupied outside by the neighbor kids and I can almost hear the sound of the clock ticking. I am taking this moment to take my thoughts back to the warm sandy beach and my white chocolate mocha.....a happy place.