OUR KIDS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

School kids! We have school kids here.

Or as we like to say…

‘How the hell did that happen?’

It seemed like only yesterday, our kids weren’t in school. That’s because yesterday, they actually weren’t. They were very hungry caterpillars in a fairy garden. Then suddenly, BOOM. They’re bloomin’ butterflies, in the blink of an eye.

Today was Indy’s first day of school and Alice’s first day of 3 year old Kinder. Here they are with their new apartments on their back.

Click to enlarge images

Dropping the kids off on their first day of school feels a lot like gambling at a casino for that last big score. The chips are on the table, all duddied up in their uniformed best. You’re praying like a mantis the cards will go your way. You were hoping for a full house, now you’re staring down a pair. Ever hopeful, you kiss the chips, take a deep breath and go all in.

Daddy Wants a New Pair of Boots

The pressure is on. Emotions are high. Realising we’ll hardly ever see our boy, five days a week (not counting holidays), for the next twelve years is a little hard to come to terms with. And realising he won’t be around as Alice’s consort during the day, means my days playing LOL dolls and Hatchimals will sky-rocket well beyond eye-twitching point.

As touching as it would be to see them off together, there’s a fair-to-middling chance Mumma might go off like the Bellagio Fountain in Vegas. Plus, there’s the gravitational pull of the sun between Mumma and the kids at the best of times. Let alone, one that requires a crowbar the size of eternity to pry the kids off her in times of turmoil. Despite being the only member of the family who cried whilst watching a Kevin Kostner movie (and not simply to ‘please, just make it stop’, which you can read about here), the safe money was on me to drop them off.

To her credit, Alice has been excited to start her new ‘school’ for a full third of her life. So, it warmed my heart to see her drag Indy by the hand and give him the tour of her new classroom upon arrival. Sentimentally, Indy had the same teachers and classroom two years ago when he was in 3 year old kinder. (Hi, Miss Jo and Miss Kristin). He joyfully paraded behind her spouting ooh’s, ahh’s and I remember this’.

That’s when the glint of glory winks it’s provocative allure and you decide to let it all ride on red.

Then Miss Kristin asks if she’s ready to say goodbye to Daddy and Indy so he can go to school, and the bottom lip starts to drop.

You’re like, ‘shit-shit-shit, I mean black. Put it all on black! Can I just…’

NO MORE BETS. Sir, kindly step back from the table.

Your head sinks, ‘My wife is gonna kill me.’

Miracles Do Happen…Even in School

That’s when it happened.

Indy kindly took both of Alice’s hands, bent down and looked gently into her eyes and said, ‘Hey Alice, can you draw me a lovely picture today?’

The lip stopped quivering and the sulking suddenly stopped.

So did Alice’s.

She slowly nodded and I knew in that moment I had hit the jackpot. What a gorgeous lovely young butterfly our hungry caterpillar has morphed into. We high-fived and fist-bumped our exit, feeling proud of our kids and satisfied and relieved in our parenting.

Dropping Indy off to his first day of school, he was excited and full of beans. Almost launching himself across the table at the pens and drawing boards, like Magnum P.I. sliding over the hood of his Ferrari. I knew then, he was in his happy place. He’s taken to drawing like a perpetual-motion machine. There’s just no stopping him.

And as much as we’d love to see them stay kids forever in the bosom of our hearts, (hearts can have bosoms), we know there’s no stopping either of them from this point on.

Happy School Days, kids. We love you to eternity and back.

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