Max started kindergarten yesterday. It's been quite the event. Since kindergarten is only half day (although that has been mandated to change in 2010 by the state!), arrangements for getting him to and from school had to be made. Fortunately, we got into the am session and the daycare can transport him.
The week before school started, the kids at the daycare practiced getting on the van, buckling their seat belts, getting off the van and walking to their classroom. This was very exciting to Max and I was given frequent updates like, " Bryce missed my school and had to go back!"
On Tuesday, I took him into the daycare and he got all sorts of tags put on him and his backpack. Then he was assigned a seat in the van next to his "big". The big is an older student who will help the younger one with their seat belt and helps them get to the school. Then the daycare takes roll-call and off to the van! I was there taking a bunch of pictures and then I hopped into my car and drove over to Ridgewood and waited to get more pictures.
When they got off of the van, Max could care less that I was there. He had practiced what to do and he was going to do it without my help. All the parents and teachers were very amused at his confidence level. It was obvious I was his parent and it was also obvious that I was not needed or even particularly wanted. He only got confused at one point when he has to make a turn to go down the kindergarten wing. Luckily, they have a teacher who is stationed there to help them remember.
He found his room with no help, marched right in, found his name, then marched right over to his assigned spot to hang his backpack, found his assigned seat and told me goodbye. I took the hint and beat it out of there before I crimped his style too much.
One of the daycare teachers asked me if I was sad or excited. I told her I was excited, which I am. He is ready to have some more challenges. It wasn't until I was walking back to my car and thinking about how on his own he was in this new stage of his life that I started to cry. I had thought that he would be coddled a little bit more. I had assumed that he would be dropped off right in front of the door like the bus kids, he isn't. I had assumed that the volunteers that get the kindergartners and walk them to their class would get him, they don't do that unless he rides the bus. He has to do it all, and he is perfectly capable of it. I'm proud that he did such a good job, especially compared to some of the other kids in his class. But it hit me suddenly that he is much bigger than I think of him and that I am running out of time with my little boy.
