First Day

Today was the day. The day.

I woke up an hour before my alarm. Sausage had had a bad dream and got into our bed in the night, so I suspect my early rising was something to do with having her elbow pressing into the back of my head for the previous hour, but I didn’t mind. As I got up, she awoke too and seemed happy enough. She’s a morning person, my kid. In fact, she’s an all-the-time person, we’ve had many a compliment on how happy and content she seems.

It wasn’t until she was situated with her brekkie and watching TV that I said “Are you looking forward to school today?” and do you know what she said?

“Oh, is that today?”

Little moo!

I’d been tossing and turning, sick with worry and she’d forgotten all about it! I have to admit though, that was just the first in a series of ‘best-case scenarios’ that have littered our day. She got dressed in her uniform (which as you know, I can’t post here, that’s just how I roll…) and was raring to go, excited and switched on. If she was nervous, she didn’t let it show at all.

Husband and I both walked her, the beauty of having one parent who’s self-employed and another who’s seemingly unemployable and we chatted away about carnivores and peregrine falcons and bald eagles and trees. There was a load of other people who were also delivering tiny humans who looked FAR too small to be on their way to school, it was a relief in a way to see other people in our situation.

As we got into the side gate, I saw several other mums in the playground who I know and I was really pleased about this, a familiar face is always good and this is a new experience for me too, not just Sausage! As we walked in, one of Sausage’s friends from nursery came and found us and they wandered off together, chatting away. She even formally introduced Sausage to one of her other friends, which meant that my little lady had two allies when she was finally called into class. She was so involved in her networking that when the time came for her to go into class, Husband and I had to call her and ask for a kiss goodbye! Again – best case scenario. I don’t want her to be clinging to us or worrying about us leaving, so I’m super pleased that she had friends to make the situation a bit less intense.

As Husband and I walked home, I think we both felt a bit lost. It was okay though, the time went surprisingly fast and a few emails and a bit of work later and it was time to collect our big girl. She was last to be let out of class but seemed very relaxed and happy. She told us about the new friends she’d made, helping another friend when she hurt herself in the playground and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Chocolate Bar..” (a completely new one on me!) but all in all, it was pleasant and largely uneventful, which is better than I could ever have hoped for.

I’m so proud of Sausage for handling today in her usual pragmatic way and not letting her nerves or sensitivity get the better of her. She’s an ace kid and I cannot wait to see how all of the new lessons and experiences broaden her mind.

Exciting times for my bezzie mate!