the first week

The night before school started, she came in our room multiple times in the night just to see if it was time to get up and get ready- she was so excited. She ate breakfast and I packed her a lunch and we did her hair and put on her special outfit. Snapped a few pictures, and loaded her up in the car. Lincoln was still sleeping so Jazz got him up while I ran across town. I didn’t know how long I needed to stay, would she cry, would she be totally fine, etc so we elected to leave the toddler at home because, cmon we all know Lincoln.

I held her little hand and she walked next to me with her backpack and lunch box and my heart almost exploded. I was so proud of her and excited for her but also a little sad that we were HERE already. We got to her class and found her name on her table. She said hello to a few new friends and then just like that, it was time for me to leave my first born in a room full of strangers. Such a weird concept.

I hugged her tight and kissed her and she seemed…..great. She didn’t need me to stay, she wasn’t scared or worried or anything. She was ready. And I hovered in the hallway, peeking through her classroom window for just a few extra minutes, mostly for my heart rather than hers. She got a name tag and shyly talked to her neighbor and pretty soon was playing puzzles like she had been doing it all her life. 

No tears! Okay well, actually I bumped into a woman from church in the hallway and as I was telling her about Isabelle being in TK my throat got all tight and my voice got all high and she was like YOU NEED A HUG and I was all like YES I DO. So maybe two little tears slipped out but I think that’s only fair when you close one chapter and open another.

And when I picked her up, she was bright and shiny and happy and had tons of things to tell me about her teacher and recess and lunch and all the things she did. I left her a note in her lunchbox (she can’t read so my options here are limited) but she said “Mom, I got your message!” Five days in and I feel so confident in our decision to put her in TK at this specific school. Isabelle we LOVE you. Today she came home and I asked if she ate her cookie (we made them yesterday for a cousin play date and had some left over). She told me she didn’t eat her cookie because there was no one around to ask if she had eaten enough of her lunch. Like, she needed approval that her sandwich was gone in order to deserve the cookie I packed. OH MAN. 

It is so weird for me to spend my days just me and Lincoln. I’m not used to having just one child, and I never thought I would only have one child at home ever again. We had busy things planned the first few days- playdates and errands, and so far it is working to pick Izzie up at 1:35 and put him down for a nap by 2. It’s nice to have some one on one time to sit and do exclusively what he wants to do. Stuff is definitely easier with one kid to keep track of- although they play so well together he really misses her. Belle? Belle? he asks. When we pick her up he hugs the stuffing out of her. Being here at home while Izzie is gone is more work than having both of them home, but running errands out and about is (usually) easier with just Lincoln.

I will say…. it will take awhile for me to get used to functioning so early. Generally the kids sleep in until 7:30 and we leisurely approach the day with breakfast at 8. Now, Isabelle has to be up dressed fed and out the door by 7:10, a time which I am usually still in bed. Sleeping. With my blindy mask on.

Lincoln is 2 1/2 and often can’t make up his mind. Have you seen that website Reasons my son is crying? We’ve had a few of them lately. Fits of mass proportion set off by ridiculous things such as

• the song he requested he just remembered he hated it
• I made him choose between two different shoes
• the cup full of ice didn’t have enough ice
• his slice of bread wasn’t huge enough
• I forced him to wear a seat belt
• won’t let him drive even though it’s “his turn”
• refused him a fruit snack at 8 am even though he found it himself
• the mac and cheese he ordered is elbow shaped not shells
• I put his bedding in the washer (that one was particularly bad)
• I wouldn’t let him sleep with a length of rope
• we don’t have a dog (“I neeeed, I neeeeed)
• I didn’t bring the right purple/red/blue/green cup/car/train

ALSO I can’t believe I didn’t lead with this but… Isabelle has a loose tooth. SHE IS NOT EVEN FIVE. It’s been a big week over here. I am so resistant to change, I’m a creature of habit.. but in this case change is good.