Wednesday, August 20, 2008

It's eerily quiet here at home today. I hear the humming of my computer, the ticking of the clock and from the other side of the house, the washer. Outside the birds are singing and a dog is barking. The reason I hear these sounds so clearly is that I am home alone.


Today was the first day of school for all three of my children. The older two started school yesterday but in order to help with the kindergartner's adjustment (as well as the teacher) Harrison's class was split - half went yesterday and the other half came today.


I am not sure who was less prepared for this - Harrison or me. We did a trial run yesterday when we took Holden to school just so that Harrison would know the drill. But despite that, it was a difficult time this morning for both of us.


When I took him to his classroom, I tried hard not to let it bother me so that he would be more comfortable. I had been through this two other times but without a doubt, this was the most difficult. It's probably because I no longer have a little one at home.

Leaving him sitting at his table, so grown-up, yet still so little, left me with an empty feeling. In my mind, I know it's the next step to growing up which is why it bothers me so much. School means the end of the lazy mornings snuggling in bed, just the two of us. It's the end to skipping school just because. It's a turning point and the direction he is headed is growing up.


Every now and again, the emptiness deep inside me threatens to swell and push the tears slowly out. I swallow hard and try to busy myself with all those mindless tasks I never seemed to have time for before. Tomorrow it will be better. And the next day, even better. I am sure that after a few days, we will both settle into our routines. But today it's sadness I feel. More for me than for him. He's is going on to learn new and exciting things. His future is wide open and the possibilities are endless. He is starting a new chapter while I am closing an old one.




Here's Harrison in his new class this morning. That looks says "I can't decide whether this is a good thing or not".




Here's Holden on his first day of school (yesterday). I took so many pictures David asked Holden when his autograph session was going to be. Unfortunately this is the only one I got of him sitting down and it didn't turn out very good.



Here's Haley getting ready to leave for school on her first day. I didn't think she would let me follow her to class to take some pictures. I did however get a few snaps of her walking away from the car as David and Harrison were yelling at her. Well, at least her dad didn't yell and ask her did she go potty like he said he was going to.

2 comments:

Kim Eckhardt said...

Awww....Becky....{hugs}

Heather Leigh said...

Your husband sounds a lot like mine, except that he WOULD have called after our daughter to ask if she went potty! Jordyn has that same shirt as Haley, same color and all!