THE first day of school...

I may have shed a few tears today...maybe more than a few. 

All I know is that at the end of the day I am so grateful for wonderful loving friends, crafty distractions and my sweet little A and how well he knows his mamma. 

He has been SO excited for this day...counting them down really, hoping that one day the seemingly mythical first-day-of-school would actually come, and he would become a BIG kid. That day was today.

I've been dreading the day, knowing it would come, and wishing the days to slow down...all summer long. How can it already be that day? Wasn't it just yesterday that he was a precious little sleeping(well, not-so-sleeping) baby? 

Our kindergarten does "staggered entry" where only a few kids go to school a day, and then come back again a few days later with the whole class. It's supposed to be less overwhelming for them...I think it's really meant for the parents. 

Staggered entry...so only a few kids and their parents see me at the drop--off, teary-eyed and forlorn...so that I don't get overwhelmed by the masses of children...so that I have a few more days left with my sweet little A before he is gone all the time...

Today was sweet. Full of beautiful tender mercies.

He woke up early, and was right ready to go, well before he needed to be. Tugging on my shirt, incessantly asking when we could go, bounding out the door as fast as he could and running into his classroom...I could barely keep up with him. 

He looked so sophisticated in his cute new back-to-school outfit that I had carefully planned. I asked him shoes he wanted to wear with it, and he let me pick out everything, right down to his socks and belt...he knows me so well:) He knew I would love that, and he was so unusually compliant with the whole dressing ordeal. 

I walked into the school, realizing I had no idea where to go, but first tender mercy of the day was that a friend from church was there...her son in the same class as mine, one of the few kids going today...I followed her, trying to keep calm, and fight back the tears that had been on the verge all morning long. 

We turned into the hallway, and the second tender mercy appeared..in the form of a great friend waiting beside the classroom door...knowing that I would need support. As soon as I saw her, I teared up again. 

Third tender mercy of the day...I asked little A if he wanted me to stay for a while. His response, "Only if you need to"...how does this boy know me so well? Know how much I yearned to stay all day, every day? Know how much I would miss him? He is so precious. 

Fourth tender mercy of the day...being distracted by Roo starting joy-school, forgotten school supplies, quick morning crafts...and a great little cry with a friend on the sidewalk...who was feeling all the same emotions as I. 
She asked..."does it ever get any easier?"...I knew exactly what she meant...as I kept thinking about what she'd said earlier.."when will leaving this boy ever not tear my heart up?"...and we both had a good cry. I love that my friends are just as sappy as I am:)

As I picked him up, he told me about his craft, the "kissing hand". Someone kisses you right on the middle of your palm and then you put it to your cheek. It makes you feel nice and warm inside, and helps you not be scared. 

I think I may have to use that kissing hand a few times this year. 

Final tender mercy...as we are filling out his "homework" for the night, a sheet with questions all about his first day...what he was wearing, what he ate, what they did...he filled out:
"When kindergarten was over I felt good inside...because my mommy came to pick me up":)

So I made it through the day...driving the kids crazy with pictures...fighting back tears...and realizing just how much I love that kid. 

I made a human...impossible as it may seem...a living, breathing little boy with so much potential...a sweet child of God that is already growing up to be an amazing, compassionate young man. 

What a day...

The boys all ready for the first day!!

This is what he does when I ask for a happy-to-be-going-to-school smile:)

His new kindergarten classroom

We made it!!