First Day, The Third

Kiernan had his first day of Kindergarten yesterday, Tuesday September 1, 2009. This summer he had a couple weeks of sort-of Kindergarten, now we've got the real thing.

The day began with pancakes.

Sandi and Pap-Pap suggested we start a tradition, something we'd continue for every First Day of School from here on out. Their tradition with Mason? Pizza party. Nice idea. I could go for that. Except for one thing. Kiernan doesn't like pizza right now.

Yeah, you read that right. Kiernan doesn't like pizza. And that's not even the most ridiculous example of his him being a picky eater. That would be how he won't eat an ice cream bar that has a chocolate coating outside of vanilla ice cream. Like, say, a Klondike Bar. He loves chocolate. He loves ice cream. Won't eat them together in an ice cream bar. I've literally found myself peeling off the chocolatey outer layer of a treat at an amusement park because this came as a surprise and I didn't want to waste the thirty-five dollars we'd spent on the amusement park ice cream treat.

Great googaly-moogaly but sometimes I feel like I'm raising Adrian Monk.

Anyway, pancakes are his favorite food so we got up and made chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes before school. Then we went off to have a potluck breakfast with all of the other Kindergarten kids and their families. [Note to Self: Next time have pancakes for dinner.] Each kid was supposed to bring a breakfast food that began with the first letter of the student's first name. So, what to bring for Kiernan? We thought about Special K cereal. Perhaps kiwis. I suggested kielbasa but that never even got out of committee.

We ended up bringing Rice Krispie Treats (that is...Krispie Treats, Rice). That worked out fine.

The breakfast was nice, although when it first started I got a glimpse at what the beginnings of a panic attack might feel like, and how hard it must be to fend one off. Goodness. All those kids and their families, all around. Swarming. Another indication that Kiernan is at school for real now. No more idyllic lab school. No more cute and cuddly infant/toddler program. This is the first step into real school and all the jostling and claustrophobia that implies.

In the end it didn't matter. To put it simply, he handles this stuff with ease. Much better than I do. I had to work, actively work to keep from showing my nerves. I kept smiling and joking and being casual, thinking I was protecting him. After breakfast the kids all lined up with their classrooms and headed in. He had a moment, a tiny sliver of a moment when it looked like he might break, might cry. Because he was sad we were going to go. Then when his classmates started to head into the classroom he ran for the door. Ran for it.

We saw him in the classroom, showing his teacher his lunch bag and examining his new digs. It was a sight, seeing the parents huddled about the door until the assistant principal shooed us away and closed it with these-aren't-the-droids-you're-looking-for ease. We dispersed.

Feeling happy. And proud. And a little empty.


A few pics from first day pickup in a bit.