Fill 'er up!

Picked up the big boy from school yesterday. Because it was a work day for me, he had to go to ASP, so he missed riding the bus home. After I sign him out, they'll call for him with a walkie-talkie, and shortly thereafter I'll see him walking down the hallway toward me. Occasionally, I'll get a hug and a "hi, Mom" Always, I'll get a smile.

Yesterday, I got both ~ and ~ I got to hold his hand as we walked to the car. I asked him about his day.

"It was good."

I told him I missed him today and that I'd thought about him during my day at work.

"Ok" (love it when he really opens up to me and we have these deep conversations)

Quiet for a second, then:

"Remember when I gave you the kiss and said this is for you to keep?"

I smiled to myself in the drivers seat and said, yes, I did, but I think I'm running low.
From the back seat, I heard him make a mmmm...smaaaacckkk-ing sound...

"There! That'll hold you!"

The Big Day



My orders were to have scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits ready for breakfast.
Well, everything but the biscuits came through. Cinnamon toast instead.
Greg got the sleepyhead up around 6:45 this morning so we'd have plenty of time to get everything done before having to go to the bus stop. He was still a bit groggy, but excited. I had a million butterflies in my stomach.

We talked last night before bed - reviewing what to expect, how to act, what the pick up plans were - I wanted him to be ready...so he wouldn't be scared. I think it was more for me than him, but, he listened - maybe he felt something of what I was feeling. I don't know.

So, we ate. Then got dressed, brushed, combed, back-packed. Grabbed the camera and out the door. Stopped to take pictures on the front step - we could see the neighbors and their kids all heading to the new bus stop up the hill.....not long now...gotta hurry. The parade of kids and parents with cameras started to pick up in number as we got closer. Cobb county's recent change in bus stops created quite a crowd on the corner.

Ben immediately started making the rounds - he had to see everybody and show them his new back pack. My social butterfly strikes again. I snapped a few pictures and wished we had a few more quiet minutes at home so we could have gone over the day again, but just a few minutes after we got there, the big yellow bus came over the hill. I could hear the excited comments from the opposite side of the crowd -

'here it comes!'
'the BUS!, it's here!!'
'come here, give me a hug'
'just one more picture!'

It came too fast! Greg grabbed Ben and gave him a big hug, kiss and a wish for a great day. I was trying to get pictures and walk with him - hug and kiss for me and then he was in the line....with the biggest smile on his face. He waited in line to climb aboard - he'd look ahead, then look at us, smile, then look ahead. He was ready! He never hesitated - climbed right on board with no wavering of the smile. Someone told him where to sit - the Kindergarten students sit at the front, right near the driver - so Ben got in the first seat, next to the door. I could barely see him over the cushion at the front of the bus, but he'd stand up and smile and wave for me.

As the doors closed, someone must have said something to get his attention in the bus because he turned his head away from us. Then, the bus started rolling and I didn't see his face again until we got to the school.

Yes, you read it right. We ran back to the house, got the car and drove over to the school so we could get pictures of him going into his class for the first time. Now, we'd discussed this, too.
I made sure to let him know it was simply because Mom and Dad wanted pictures of his first day at school - not because Mommy thought she'd break down without one more hug, oh no.
It was simply a photo op.

So, off we all go to walk him to his class - the excited smile remained throughout the walk through the gym, down the hall; to the Kindergarten wing of the school. Once again, my social butterfly greeted everyone he saw with a cheerful, 'good morning'; a few he questioned, 'did you see my new back pack?' I'd say he's pretty proud of it, no?

Since we weren't allowed in the classroom, we took a few pictures out in the hall. More hugs and kisses and then sent him on in. He was ready, again.
He never faltered, never looked back. We peeked in and I made sure the teacher had him down for ASP this afternoon - she did - so, we had no reason to stay.

We left the way we came, with big smiles. Never wavering.

Well, not much.