Respect & Responsibility

You're home and you haven't stopped talking about school yet. You made like you didn't like it at first when I picked you up. You said it was weird and hard to be away from home all day, knowing this would be your schooling the whole year. You missed having me and the dogs and your house, etc… You said the only thing you liked about school was recess.

And then it was like someone turned on a faucet. You started talking about school and haven't stopped!

You've talked about respect and responsibility as though they were new and amazing concepts you'd never heard of before. You've talked about your teacher, how she LOVES eye contact, and how she responds if you don't look her in the eye. How this is her 17th year of teaching, and how she is very very serious about eye contact. I can tell you have a great respect and admiration for her already.

You've spoken very fondly of your school counselor, Mrs. Y. You talked about what she tried to share with you, though you couldn't quite understand what she was getting at. You smile when you talk about her. I can tell you like her.

You've talked about lunch and how loud and crazy it is. How you didn't have any idea what to do. They only gave you 5 chicken nuggets, you ate half of one of your cucumber slices, and by the time you realized you could have had a roll you were too far along in the line to do anything about it. You were full from lunch, and it was good.

You had a school meeting (which sounded like a pep rally) in the large gym today. You said they introduced and clapped for all the teachers.

You talked about your cough and how it was hard to suppress, but you managed. You said you were so busy and figuring things out that you didn't really get to check out the other students in your class yet.

We unpacked your backpack and you let me look at your stuff. Your list of things you need. You were VERY serious about it. Like this was a matter of YOUR business, not mine. YES! ;)

You called your Dad to tell him how you liked your first day, and then you brought it all back to me.

You talked about some a loud classroom that as disrespectfully walking through the hallway past your class. You proudly mentioned you could tell that maybe not all the teachers in the school care about being respectful as much as your teacher does.

After about 30 minutes of straight stories, I realized it was time to scoop us some bowls of ice-cream and move this powwow out to the screen room. There you continued on and on, adding that you actually did kind of like it, except that you would rather be at home (who wouldn't).

Then your Nanna called. You have since been pacing around the house sharing stories with her about your first day. It's been about 30 minutes, and I get the feeling you will still have more to process when you get off the phone with her.

I told you on the couch in the screen room that I can tell you are different already. I can tell that you are stronger, and wiser, and more polite. I can tell that you are taking things seriously (things I've not been able to get you to take seriously at home) like respect and responsibility. You were proud, and you smiled and said, "mom, i can tell you might be about to cry some happy tears."

I am SO proud of you and happy for you. I can only imagine how wonderful this year is going to be for you, my love.

Happy happy first day.