Waiting for the phone to ring

It's Matthew's first day of kindergarten today.

I'm waiting for the phone to ring.

So far, I've talked to my friend Denise twice, but the school has yet to call. This must mean everything is ok.

He was so excited to be starting "big kids school" today. No more preschool, this is the real deal.
From 8:20am until 3pm, I've entrusted my son to the school, the teacher (who is awesome) and the special resources Education Assistant (who is also awesome) and trust that he won't need the security blanket I've packed (just in case).

I trust that he'll eat his lunch - and won't choke, throw up, or demand chocolate milk by threatening to fire the teacher!
I trust that he'll stay in the kindergarten room, and not escape to wander the halls or push all the buttons on that oh-so-attractive elevator.

Yesterday in preparation for our big day, we went to Walmart to get him a new backpack (Hey Julie & Warpie, we found one that is "evil enough" in red white and blue)
While at walmart, we passed a bin of assorted pillows that he simply could not pass up. He wanted one, and they had them in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colours - Green frog? Nope.......How about this funny monkey one then? Nope.........The boy picked out the fluffiest round lavendar girly pillow you can imagine.
"This one" he exclaimed happily, stroking it, and hugging it and putting it next to his cheek.
I tried to gender stereotype him and tempt him with a similar BLUE one, but he was not to be swayed. Lavender. Or pink.
I got him the Lavender one.
I figured it was a fair trade off after not letting him get the pink Max & Ruby shoes that were proudly displayed in the girls shoe department. We got navy white and yellow generic shoes with flashing red lights instead, and I felt a little bad that I did it. I mean, who cares if he wants pink shoes? Max and Ruby aren't just for girls - he loves that show, but they didn't make the shoes with any other colours - they were white with pink lining, and pink soles and pink patterned laces and Max & Ruby wearing decidedly pink outfits. Yet my own pride got in the way, and I didn't let him get the pink shoes.

I justified it to myself saying that I didn't want him to get teased, but really, I just didn't want my BOY wearing GIRLS shoes. My bad.
But I did buy him the lavender pillow.

He loves it.

He took it to school today.

He insisted on walking to school today (it's raining) with our buzz lightyear umbrellas. Because of the rain, the kids were just dropped off inside the kindergarten room instead of waiting in the kindergarten area, getting up the nerve to be seperated from mum (and some dads) for their first day of school.

I left my boy standing inside the kindergarten room, watching his teacher trying to calm down a hysterical crying boy that was not adjusting very well. He just stood there and watched them. I left him there. to fend for himself, in a new classroom, with a new teacher, and 17 other kids that he doesn't know.

I'm waiting for the phone to ring.

At least he has his pillow.

WILT: Kid's umbrellas are made for kids - Adults who use them still get wet by the time they get home.


WILT: When a 2yr old locks himself in the bathroom, the maximum capacity of a toilet bowl is: 2 rolls of toilet paper, a toy boat, 1 buzz lightyear bubble blower, 2 bottles of body wash and 4 large plastic easter eggs. None of it is flushable, except perhaps the eggs, which I managed to recover 3-1/2 of them.

The boys first day of kindergarten went WONDERFULLY - in fact better than I expected.
When I went to pick him up the teacher leaned over and whispered that he was the BEST in the class today - absolutely no problems at all, but that we should keep that very quiet since we want to keep his E.A.

He didn't fall asleep, like his brother did every afternoon last year. He coloured, and ate all his lunch and acted as though he'd been in kindergarten all his life. His nursery school last year had something to do with that, as well as his sunday school teacher who both employed routines and maintained 'school-like' environments.
He has his therapy tonight, so Wednesdays are going to be long - He'll sleep tonight :)