Thursday, August 10, 2006 · no responses · comments closed

Anna, who will be six at the end of September, started school yesterday. Though she doesn’t look excited in the photo, she was thrilled to go, and had been asking daily when school would start for the last two weeks. Teddie drove her to school, and she rode the bus home with Isaac, now in second grade (see the photo below).

I remember when my niece Emily went to kindergarten; she seemed so small (and now she’s the mother of twins!). Almost 20 years later, it seems exactly right that Anna should be heading off into a (somewhat) bigger world. I cried when Zack, who just started 8th grade, got on a school bus for the first time. Now, with number 3, it’s not exactly routine, but I am much more comfortable. I think with the first, there’s some fear or trepidation: what will the teachers be like? will other kids be kind? can he manage the lunch tray? Now, we’ve seen that the teachers are kind, the school nurturing, and the experience positive.

Having said that, I was just reminded of how much like babies my children still are. I got up from the keyboard to take first Anna, then Isaac, in to snuggle with Teddie for a few minutes before the flurry of breakfast and getting ready begins. When I woke Isaac, he stretched several times and I thought, “He looks like he’s not that much bigger than his 3-month old twin cousins.” And though he wouldn’t like me to say it, at times I still think that Zack is just a child. He’s very responsible, takes good care of Isaac and Anna when Teddie and I go out, generally makes wise decisions — but he’s not really that old.

I remember when I taught high school for a year (this was before Zack was born, so it must be 15 years ago), looking out the window of my classroom and seeing Ethan, a tall, almost-manly looking 9th-grader, stomping in rain puddles like a preschooler. I realized that they have mature bodies, and they are capable of amazing thought: but these teens are still just kids. (Which makes me wonder about some of the things they are typically exposed to — but that’s another post for another day.)

Back to yesterday: in a totally related development, I had the most productive day in recent history. By 2 p.m., I had cleaned the house and done the dishes, bathed, done 3 loads of laundry, graded 31 final exams and about 100 homework assignments. It was exhilarating! The reason for the productivity? Kindergarten. Anna interrupts me throughout the day to sell me pretend cookies, have tea parties, watch dance recitals, and give updates on the latest happenings with Blue, Dora, Barbie, and a dizzying array of dolls and make-believe characters that populate her world. I missed her smile and her kisses, but wow! what a wonderful thing it was to get so much done without interruption!