First Day of School

Yes, my sweet baby girl grand-daughter, Reace started Kindergarten today. She went right into class and told her Mommy and Daddy, "You can leave now."Then she began smashing the play dough and rolling it back into a ball that the teacher had waiting for her on the desk.

Mommy said she thought Reace was trying to be brave and not cry. She did a great job at it. Mommy even did a pretty good job not crying. I, on the other hand, was at work and had to dry my eyes when Autumn called to tell me how brave our big girl behaved today.

Reacie's take on the day, "I almost froze my head off, it was chillin in there."

When asked how she liked school, she said with a smile, "It was fun and enjoyable." And she also noted that she made two friends. I'm excited about that since she doesn't have any friends her own age, they are all older or younger.

She sang The Itsy Bitsy Spider song for me from music class and corrected me on the motions. Apparently 50 years ago we did it all wrong. She swears the music teacher was at our church pool party last week. I believe it is because she is blond and has a tattoo around her ankle and apparently so does a blond lady from our church.

After playing all afternoon, I went outside and sat in the lawn chair while they played with the puppies and she crawled up in my lap and said, "I'm so tired" as her little eyes shut and I had to remind her she still had to take her bath and get ready for tomorrow. Of course, this was right after getting in trouble for almost running down the puppy with her bike, the one she is grounded from riding. Yes, Grandmommy is a bit of a pushover.


Kaylyn, my third-grader grand-daughter, took to school with her usual exuberance. She was up at 5 a.m. Probably the only day of school that she will be up that early. They were both dressed, with their backpacks ready to leave the house before the school even opened the doors. Mom and Dad held them off as long as possible arriving 20 minutes early.

Kay got a bit of an attitude with her Mom over homework and taking the puppies outside to, well, you know, and had to apologize. Now she's into kissing up by telling Mom, "Do you know who's prettier than me? You!"

Reace, the little Diva, asked, "What about me?"

My 1st grader Patrick is in another town so after work Lacey called but Patrick was too tired and grumpy to tell me about school. He said he needed a nap but he wasn't going to take one. He didn't want to get up early this morning. When Mommy went in to wake him, he said, "Only dorks get up early." Wonder what Papaw would think about that since he gets up between 4 and 5 a.m. Not me, I'll never be accused of being a dork. He apparently had a good day and notated all the girls in his class he knew from last year. Our little Don Juan.

Since Elijah is only 10 months, he got to have lunch with Grandmommy, Aunt Autumn and Mommy, of course, all by himself. He is reading now. It's sort of a humming noise but he loves to read. I believe he'll take after his Aunt Autumn in that respect. We're drowning in books from her trips to half price books.

So now all clean and with the big day behind them, all my little darlings are safely tucked into bed with sweet dreams of another "fun and enjoyable" day at school tomorrow since they all want to go back. Thank goodness, neither me nor my girls are cut out for home schooling.

Here is a poem I wrote this for teachers everywhere.

First Day of School
By Karen Arthur

May 2009

As you watch their little feet
Pad across to their new seat,
You have a tiny, little panic attack.
But don’t sell yourself short,
Just show them love from your heart,
For they are willing to give that love back.

Little Mary in row two,
Looks like she’s ready to,
Give up her lunch before the bell rings.
And poor Johnny over there,
Is asking you, “What’s a square?”
After explaining it 12 times it seems.

As they march out this first day,
Backpacks dragging all the way,
All you can think now is “How did I do?”
Just ask the parents if you dare,
They’ll let you know how you fared,
And how much each little angel loves you.

With lots of hugs and a some prayer,
They learn so much from you there,
While today you helped mold their little minds.
It may be the just the first day,
But what you both take away,
Will be remembered for each one’s lifetime.