The Mikhail Web: Damian's First Day of School

I waited for that day, I dreaded that day. Who was more nervous? I am pretty sure it was me. Damian had a restful night that Thursday night, the night before the big day. I wonder if I had a full hour of sleep at anytime.

Daddy and I drove him to school. I had a knot in my stomach, Damian was excited. We waited with him in the playground, daddy playing with him, and I, standing on the side, watching him.

Then we go into class, and his teacher says, Do you want to go play Damian? say bye to Mommy and Daddy. I give him a big hug, and a big kiss, and as Daddy is squeezing him tight I tell Dmian to tell him that he needs to go and play! So Damian pushes Daddy and says: I need to go and play Daddy! Then the teacher took his hand and walked away with him. I don't think he looked back. I did not want him to cry, of course not! Or did I? I did not know whether to feel proud of my big boy... my big boy baby... or to feel upset that he did not shed a tear.

But it's not the first time I leave him! It's not the first time I leave him with a "stranger!" He went to day care, we left him with a "nanny!" So, why am I so emotional? I don't know. But I kept thinking, my Baby has grown up.

So maybe that's it. This is the "official" proof that my son is no longer a baby. He is, as he often likes to say, a "big boy" now. And I still worry about him. Is the teacher going to be nice to him? Are the kids going to be nice to him? Is he going to make friends? Will he eat all his food? Am I packing enough? Is he hungry?... does he miss me?... Does it always come back to me? Am I being over protective? Or am I just being, a mom?

And then I went to pick him at the end of the day... he was not very happy... to leave!