Sending my boys off for the first day of school for 2015 was both hard and welcome and cheer-worthy and heart wrenching and well, mostly just timely. We had partied hard, stayed up late, pushed ourselves to have fun fun fun, and now it was time enough to head back into it all.
And Soul, although attending nowhere new in the least (as he was attending his childcare centre three days a week during the whole school holiday break) was more excited than anyone (whilst heartily eating his customary apple) to hold up a good old blackboard and bestow on us elaborate smiles as though the Oscar was his.
Here here Soul!
True was excited mostly about his haircut which was styled pretty much exactly like mine.
Brave gave out his 'eyes-like-slits-but-genuinely-happy-smile' and in his classic middle child way cruised through the morning like a champ.
On the whole I did a pretty awesome job of waking up and getting make-up on before 8am (a moderately impressive miracle) so as to get some back to school photos happening, most of which was motivated by dark 'this may be the last time I send them off for their first day of school' thoughts. However, in spite of what motivated such early morning organisation I look back on these pics with gratitude. They capture the excitement in the air, and the fresh start.
Look at those fresh faces. Those uniforms. Those excited little hearts to meet new teachers and classmates again.
True has felt the weight of the change, and my extra cuddles and questions have probably just exacerbated the heart issue. But, just like my mum, and most probably her mum before her I continue to ask 'how has your day been'? and 'what did you get up to today'? no matter how little info it tends to extract. Because in some ways, at least when he's 34 with a tribe of his own perhaps he will remember my overeagerness to hear any snippet, any little nonsense as it relates to him because this love is like a banner over him and I want to hear it. Any of it. Absolutely any of it.
(and for the record, yesterday the most I got in return for above questions was the accusation that I gave him a ham and cheese sandwich on purpose 'even though I know he hates them and really just wants fritz and sauce). Aggggh.
Right. onto it.
And I'll ask my qu's again tomoz...after all, I never know if tomorrow will be the day he finally gives in!
We are excited for Brave this year to be having an incredible teacher who is already wanting to know how she can support him in such a challenging year for our family.
Mrs A has gone out of her way to make a connection with him and keep an eye out from day one, and after we got a chance to meet last week I truly am lost for words. It is such a gift to know that my middle guy has an educator championing him not only academically but also emotionally. It's such a gift to me to know that he won't be left to 'get away' with behaviour, but at the same time there will be grace extended to him as he will be grappling with so very much at home this year.
We love our local public school! I am blown away by their support of us. This school community is so generous in the way it has reached out and practically given us meals, time, offered connection, transport, cups of tea, and extra loving on our boys. Makes me emotional actually...the extent of love lavished on us has been pretty big!
We've yet to meet with True's teacher, but are really looking forward to getting to know Miss K. It's going to be a huge year for these boys of mine. These boys I so want to protect, and yet this year will see them grow up in many many good ways, I fear much more will be asked of them than should be at such tender ages. It's the topic of many of my late night prayers. 'God please meet my boys in the middle of all this yuck'!. And it seems perhaps that he has been setting that up.
We will see.
No comments:
Post a Comment