Common Mom

Yesterday, I’m sitting in the office of a friend and coworker and we’re making meeting plans for a day next week. I mentioned that I’d be a little late Monday because it was Jason’s first day of public school and being the scrapbooking freak that I am I would of course have to take pictures of his big day. Heck, I’ll probably take pictures of him getting out of bed on the first day of 2nd grade, getting dressed on the first day of 2nd grade, eating breakfast, brushing his teeth, and tying his shoes on the first day of 2nd grade. I’ll take pictures of him putting on his backpack, walking down the hill, greeting his buddy Hayden at the end of his driveway, then disappearing down the hill to the bus stop, laughing, skipping, hopping, and giggling the whole way. I’ll take pictures of him being so excited about school, and then I’ll take pictures of him getting on the bus without a hug or kiss because he says he’s too old for that - we’ll have to use the secret signal instead. Then I’ll take a picture of his nervous smile in the bus window as he waves while they drive away. At this point, T and I both had that vision of our little Buddy sitting on that big yellow school bus waving out the window.

Then, the flood gates opened. We both started crying! Friggin’ crying in the middle of the work day in her office! She looked at me and said “What the hell is WRONG with us?!” It was an excellent question! I got on the bus my first day of kindergarden and made it to school, had a great day, and came home all happy. I lather, rinsed, and repeated for the next 13 years and turned out just fine.

It’s hard for us mommies to realize that our kids are MUCH less anxious about new things like the school bus and going to school than we mommies are. They are excited about all the new beginnings - we are afraid of the new beginnings for them. They are excited about things like riding the bus - we are afraid they won’t get on the right bus home that first day. They are excited about playing on the playground with all the new kids - we are nervous that those same new kids on the playground will be mean to our precious little ones.

Today we have orientation at the new school - it’s a brand new K-12 campus - so it’s big - much bigger than my little dude. I told him last night that his school “mascot” was The Thunder. He of course thought that was cool - then wondered what thunder looks like - excellent question dude! I guess we’ll find out later today when we have the opportunity to by Spirit Wear However, his main concern is when he’ll get to play on the cool new playground that we drive by a couple times a week!

I wonder why I never saw the worry, fear, anxiousness, and every other emotion in my parents when I was trying all those new things . . . I wonder if Jason senses those emotions in me?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS