Today marked our little ladies first ‘official day’ at Primary School, I say ‘day’ but I technically mean ‘afternoon’ as for the next three weeks the children are attending half-day sessions to settle into school life.
Not only was it E’s first day but it was also J’s first day in year four. He left for School early this morning with his Dad and a big grin plastered on his face.
I thought that I had allowed myself plenty of time to get E ready for School, to feed her dinner and to be able to send her off in style. However, upon checking my diary I found that E started at 1pm, not 1.30pm as I had originally thought.
We therefore cut dinner short, threw on her school shoes and headed out of the door in a dash which in retrospect was far better than hanging about and getting all emotional.
We arrived in the nick of time, I helped E change from her school shoes into her pumps, hung her coat, school bag and PE bag on her name-labelled peg and upon turning around found that she had already left my side and was busy mingling with her classroom peers whilst dressing herself in a hard hat and construction glasses as you do.
After a quick chat with her new Teacher, a quick peck on the cheek and a wave goodbye I headed back home with a lump in my throat, wiping the odd tear from my cheek.
Having arrived home I had a quick tidy around the house and then curled up on the sofa with a fresh cup of hot coffee whilst listening to the Stereophonics and watching the rain batter against the windows.
It felt rather strange being on my lonesome, I wasn’t lonely as such as I had plenty to be getting on with but the knowledge that not one but both of my children are now at school age left me with a massive hole in my heart.
Eventually the clock struck three and I jumped into the car to collect my little ones after their first day back at School. E was sat ready and waiting holding her bag, wearing her coat and having put her shoes onto the wrong feet. When asked what she’d done this afternoon her response was just like J’s once was “I don’t know, it was fun”.
I then collected J from his new classroom, he was on time for once and also one of the first out. His Teacher told me how lovely and well-behaved our son was, I wasn’t entirely sure I would be collecting the same boy having listened to her description of J. However, there he was jumper casually draped over his arm, lunch box and bag in hand ready to brave the wind and rain in just a T-shirt, definitely our son then!
I’ve since dropped the kids off with my in-laws as I’m heading out to work shortly. Here’s hoping that over the next few months I might find a new career which fits in a little better with the school schedule. All in all though it seems to have been a successful day at school for our two little stars.