First Day at HCA

If I had written a script for Jones's first day of school, I'm not sure I could've come up with something any better than the way it played out. He had an AMAZING day.

It started out a little before seven. Our alarm clock, Freddie, woke us up as he does almost daily - with a sing-song-y "Maaaammaaaaa! Can I get up?" I told him he could. A few minutes later, he ran into my room and asked, "Can Jones get up, too?" I said he could, and both boys ran into the den to play, like every other morning.

A little after seven, I rolled out of bed and picked up the clothes I'd laid out for Jones the nite before. I told him to get dressed, but he was still REALLY groggy, so instead, I just held him. He sat on my lap. I rubbed his back and asked him how he felt about the day. In spite of his seeming lackadaise, he said he was excited. He got dressed and suddenly had a spring in his step that surprised me, given what was coming. He bounded all over the back of the house and was the first one out the door when we said it was time to go.

Surprisingly, I held up fine the whole time. I enjoyed the "cuckles" before he got dressed this morning, but I hadn't cried or even come close to it, possibly because I was all cried out from boo-hoo'ing until 4 a.m. the morning after his Meet the Teacher. We loaded up and hit the road right around 7:30.

As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I caught the catch breath that generally signals "about to cry." Almost immediately after, Freddie randomly started singing, "Every day's a special day on So-dor," which is a song from "Thomas" that has made me cry since I first heard it at "Thomas Land" last  August. Hearing it made me think of the last five years' of "Special Days" that the boys and I have had on the proverbial "Sodor" of our lives, and I lost it.

I was able to get it back together to walk into the school, though. Jones's demeanor definitely helped. He walked in like he owned the place. I absolutely could not believe it. There was no hiding behind me or begging me to stay. In fact, as the four kids sat on the carpet in Mrs. Clackett's classroom, Jones listened to the story ("The Kissing Hand") and then asked if he could tell the class about his new engine (We bought Hiro at AC Moore as a back to school surprise yesterday). It was absolutely incredible. For the first time, he showed his teacher the kid I get to see at home, and all I could think was, "If Mrs. Janet and Mrs. Doris could see him now ..." They'd be so proud.

Jeremy, Freddie, and I walked out of the building. As soon as we were strapped in the van, Freddie asked, "What are we gonna do without Jones?" I said, "I don't know, Buddy," and I really didn't. Improvising, we headed to the bakery for a doughnut date. On the way, Freddie asked me, "Mama, are you so glad I get to take care of you?" "Oh, my goodness, Freddie," I answered. "Am I ever!" While he was eating his long john - less than an hour since leaving Jones - Freddie asked, "When we gonna pick up Jones?" Apparently, we were each missing him just as much. "I hope Jones is being good," Freddie later said and, later still, "Hope Jones is having a wonderful time at school. Hope he's obeying his teacher."

When it was finally time to pick up Big Brother, I wasn't sure what to expect, but his excitement exceeded all of my expectations. He would.not.shut.up about his day. We called Jeremy from the car, and I facetiously said, "I don't think he likes it." Jones corrected me: "Yes, I do! I wanta go dare all da time," he said.

Jabberjabberjabberjabber, on and on he went, all through our lunch at Jeremy's office (Jeremy was the Lone Ranger at the office, so we picked up Blue Rooster and ate at the Pressley Group). It definitely squelched so much of my sadness, seeing how happy he was at school.

By the time we got home, though, he was READY FOR BED. He was totally wiped out, bless his heart, and napped harder than he has in a REALLY long time. After that, he got up and played with his beloved trains - just like any other day - leading me to believe, to my GREAT relief, that, for as much as he's matured, maybe he's still my little boy after all.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!