First Day Of School!!!

After a mostly-sleepless night for Mom and Pops, the boys were up bright and early for the day we'd all been anticipating: day one of all-day Junior Kindergarten at Niagara Street Public School...

For the boys, familiar terrain, having spent several years there at Shelly/Sara/Annie's Drop-In. But for the folks--lump in the throat time...I mean, do we have to let them go--even a little bit--already?

Carter was in great spirits, as was Nathaniel. They effortlessly donned their nifty backpacks--courtesy of Karren--and armed with their lunchboxes, we all took a deep breath and hit the pavement for the short stroll...

We'd been told we were to abandon them at the gates, but to our relief, we were allowed in. Scaling the steps to the enclosed playground, Carter and Nathaniel enthusiastically navigated the hordes of rampaging kids and explored the offerings they hadn't seen since the Spring Fling...

Mom and Dad said their goodbyes--just as Carter started to perform a number on the raised steps. Clearly, there'd be no adjustment shock--I left for work feeling surprisingly better than I thought I would. Karren arrived and was all set to meet the boyos for lunch in a few short hours...

Soon, Miss P (in fact, Lesley Pysklywec) ordered everyone into formation, called out the roll call, and took attendance. After that, the gang was allowed some more play time. Nathaniel took out to exploring on his own--but Ruth was already looking out for him.

I wasn't able to make it home for lunch--a typically busy day in TV land, and after a long weekend no less--but I was informed that Carter was so hungry after a morning of play that he wolfed down three bowls of mac-and-cheese. Nathaniel had a hearty appetite, too, after a manic romp in the school gym chasing basketballs....

Carter even managed to produce his first piece of official art...

Before long, it was late-afternoon, and Pops took an extra long "bathroom break" from his afternoon projects to rush home to greet the boys as they exited classroom 3...

Carter gave me the biggest hug to date, but Nathaniel...well, the little guy was tuckered out from his new experience and had fallen asleep...

Carter gave me a grand tour of the classroom--the table where he made his art, their name tags, the computer...so much to absorb in a single day...

Soon, though, they were both up and ready for a reunion with their friends in the park...

Having returned from a long weekend AND an extra day off, I had a busy day so I had to work a bit later tnan usual, but the clearly-exhausted boys hung on just long enough for us to have some fun...with The Imagination Movers on the menu, of course...

Then, it was time for bed in the Brave New World. Clearly, much of our worry had been for nothing...I couldn't be much happier or prouder. What I miss in my mornings and lunches the boys will gain in experience and friends. If only I didn't have to walk back and forth from the school to home in 35-degree temps...