Okay. It is just two days a week from 8:30 a.m. until noon.... but there is something about holding your child's hand while they have a death-grip on a Dora the Explorer lunchbox and a favorite stuffed animal and walking them in to school that makes your heart squeeze and your eyes well up.
She was being very brave and the only thing that gave away her nervousness was the attachment to the Dora lunchbox and the tight neck squeeze on Mr. Moo Cow. The only time she faltered was when the room was full of parents and kids and it was very loud. Then she looked up at me and said: "Can you take me out of here?" I assured her that Daddy would pick her up at lunchtime and that she would get to play on the playground and have her banana and juice out of her lunchbox. She thought it over for a few moments and then said: "Okay." and I was able to sneak out...wiping my eyes a little in the hallway and fighting the urge to run back, snatch her up and take her home with me. Believe me... I was just one of many mothers walking a little fast and avoiding eye contact with anyone in case I burst into tears. Sniffle. Sniffle.
9 comments:
I got a lump in my throat just reading this!
"Can you take me out of here?" Oh!
Been there , five times over. It's hard....
Thanks for visiting me!
I went to pick Abby up and she was sitting at a table flattening some play-doh with a little rolling pin. So intent on what she was doing that she didn't notice me standing there. I stood there for a solid two minutes just watching her. I remembered holding her for the first time, I remembered singing her to sleep last week and how she gets this devilish grin when she knows she's been caught and thinks she can "cute" her way out of it. Abby is so beautiful that it sometimes makes me hurt inside, knowing that one day she will discover a world that is bigger than I can control. A world that I can't always protect her from. A world where one day I won't be there to sing her to sleep. One day she will meet someone and I will no longer be "the man" in her life. As I was thinking about all this she finally looked up and saw me. She said "Hey Daddy" and smiled at me, still rolling out her play-doh. All those concerns vanished for the moment. Right now she's still literally my baby girl and while I can't stop her from growing up its not happening today, this week, or this month. Right now she still needs me to give her piggy back rides, fix her toys when "they all broken", and occasionally sing her to sleep and you can bet that I'll be there.
Awwww. Now I've definitely got a lump in my throat...
The first day of school is a major milestone for parents! I've had tears in my eyes each time. The girls, on the other hand, have skipped off happily without even a backward glance.
Oh geeze, between the two of you, you have made me cry!!
Awww, I know how you feel. My baby boy (I swear he's still just an itty bitty baby!) started big school 3 weeks ago.
Well I'm crying too. Parenthood. Some days you can't wait for them to grow out of a particular phase or behaviour, other days you want to put a brick on their heads to keep them from growing up.
Such a nice post. And bonus post from Rob. Mr. Fixit would never do that. (He would think it but he would never do it.)
She's clever, with her desire to get out of there! It takes most kids a couple of years before they realise school sucks!
Awwww!! Rob is so dang sweet! Abby looks so cute for her first day of school.
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