First Day of School

~Gavin~

Gavin is officially a first grader. While many folks are crossing this bridge this fall with their children, our own journey is is sharply real and monumental. We have not traveled down this road before. This is nearly always true when I discuss Gavin, as he is the oldest, but it never seems unimportant. So true of the above picture, that Nora and Dylan are part of his journey. They insisted on being there to see him on to the bus.

"Check-out my backpack!", he says to Daddy. Dylan was very interested in this process. He normally is when it comes to his brother ("brofer"). I love that Dylan looks like I feel here. Very proud. Very happy. Very curious.

Ok, ok...posed, required photos with parents...

Gavin was a mix of excitement and apprehension for his first day. It depended on the moment. He did not recognize his teacher (negative - mental note & lesson learned: at end of school year, suggest meeting next grade level of teachers ahead of time). He did, however, know some students from previous class, baseball or playground (positive). He was riding the same bus with kids he knows well (positive). We had the same bus numbers (positive and bonus*). He was unsure of classroom location prior to bus stop (negative) but during long wait for bus*, discovered through kid-conversation with a now second grader, where class was located (positive). Go Gavin - network to your advantage!

* Bus: (1) The morning bus time moved up from 8:40 to 8:20 which for our family schedule is nearly invisible. However - bus was late on first day so that is not a positive influence on nerves (next picture). (2) Afternoon bus was SUPPOSED to be the same number, time, etc. In the middle of the day - changes were made - chaos was created. Gavin luckily, the social networking butterfly that he is, made it on to the correct bus. Three others on his bus were not so lucky. Two stayed at the school with the dozens of other kids too confused to know what to do and one child boarded the wrong bus. Lovely...in the end all was well. Second day was smoother and on time.

Let's get this over with!

BYE!!!

Note: Dylan and Nora both cried when Gavin got on the bus. They cried hard. Although this was terribly sad, it was easier to comfort them then to shed my own tears of detachment. I cry for fleeting moments that I just can't seem to capture let alone touch as they fly by on this journey.