First Days!

We began our first week of school with Griffin on Tuesday. Griffin starts another year of Pre-K with his fellow Orange Bears. He has told me more than once this summer that he missed school, missed his teachers and his friends, so we was thrilled to be headed back. He woke up, got dressed and promptly put his backpack on his back, even though we had a good hour until it was time to actually get to school. When he returned home that afternoon, he pronounced the day a success, even though he "already knew everything." That's our G.

Today was the first day back for Aidan and Brennan, my fourth and first graders. Neither boy was all that thrilled at the prospect of school. There were quite a few tears and too many "I don't want to go" at bedtime the night before.

This morning, however, Brennan was so excited to get his day started that he could barely sit still. He was all joy, all giggles, all suppressed excitement threatening to burst. All he could talk about was how he got a desk this year. A desk! He couldn't wait to see his desk! I don't think he was still for a second this morning. He wiggled while he ate his breakfast. He danced while he got dressed. He giggled while he brushed his teeth.

Aidan was a little more serious. He had a stomach ache. He was nervous. He wanted just one more day at home. He thought he had a sore throat. A runny nose maybe? He should definitely stay home, at least for today. He didn't let up. My first born has a tough time with change. The first few days of anything are a challenge to him as he works it out. I know he will be fine. I know he will get there. But to watch him struggle with nerves and uncertainty breaks my heart.

(As I explained all this to Chris later this morning, he let loose with a barely repressed chuckle and murmured, "I wonder where he gets that from..." Not funny.)

Seeing Aidan's nerves and Brennan's energy, validated our choices for both of them for their school. Their school is a small, tight knit community. It offers consistency and certainty for Aidan, with the same class of kids every year since kindergarten, allowing him to build confidence and get over his nerves. And for Brennan, it has a nice, small class size to ensure his teacher has time to manage his high energy level. (Fifteen children in Brennan's class. Only four boys. Two out of four boys are named Brennan. What are the odds?)

Another school year has begun. Onward and upward.