First Day of School

The week before last my grandson started kindergarten. KINDERGARTEN! How did this happen? When did this happen? I’m sure there are a few of you feeling the same way about your grandkids or your own child.

I was not prepared for it. At all. I mean, Grandson’s dad and uncles moved in with their dad and me mid term and the youngest was already in 2nd grade. Back then, I was very, very happy when school time came around after a long, long summer with 3 boys and all of their friends, believe me.

But Santino? The one I got to take care of when his mommy worked? The one I saw take his first steps? Who we used to wonder when he’d start talking? And then, more recently, wonder when he’d stop talking?

Santino, who was glued to my hip until he was two.

And then glued to his Poppy’s until May 14.

I knew this day was coming but I was doing my best to deny it. Until the week before school started. I got a text message from his mother that he was crying because Poppy wouldn’t be there to see him go to school.

I couldn’t take him to school that morning but wild horses couldn’t have stopped me from picking him up.

First, I had to find his classroom though. I followed some littles that looked about the same age.

I was pretty sure I was in the neighborhood.

I heard it before I saw him . . . 

GRAMMA!!!

I’m actually not sure who was more excited, him or me. We weaved our way thru the morning kindergartners and parents leaving and afternoon students and parents coming.

(Um, who organized this chaos?) Never mind.

He had to show me his classroom, his teacher, his cubby . . .

. . . and his new “best” friend.

Apparently Brandon does not have a gramma who takes photos of every.single.moment. (And happens to be a blogger, heehee.)

Yes, I needed to take a photo of him once we got away from the chaos classroom.

You know, I’d never taken one of those phone photos of myself before but he wanted a picture of “me and Gramma”.

The first one didn’t come out so he said, “Let me do it, Gramma.” sheesh. He’s not even 5 yet and he knows more about my phone than I do, and almost more about the computer too.

Then we headed towards the car . . .

“Wait. Wait, Gramma! I don’t have my ‘homework’!”

You have homework on the first day of school?

“Yeah and I don’t have it! We have to go back to my classroom.”

Which we did but Teacher had slipped his emergency papers homework into the backpack side pocket.

I had picked up a Spiderman notebook and set it on his car seat. He doesn’t need a notebook but he was so excited to have “school supplies.”

And then we were off to our favorite store (Walmart) for a special surprise that he’s been wanting for months, and Gramma’s been saving for just about as long.

I knew what he wanted and he knew what he wanted but that didn’t stop him from looking at every.single.superhero. It’s a ritual. Marlon & I used to dread it because it takes him so long to look thru the entire toy department.

Now I treasure these times.

And finally he found the Holy Grail of Power Rangers.

Hey, five toys in one? I thought it was a good deal. He was just happy because he thought he’d have to wait until his birthday on September 1 to get it.

Nope. I wanted his first day of school to be filled with happy memories.

I stopped in the jewelry department to get one of those thingies so Marlon’s pinky ring would fit my finger and replace the bunch of bandaids and tape wrapped around the back.

Marlon always wore two pieces of jewelry – his ring with 5 diamonds, (one for our 3 sons, one for Santino and one for me) and a gold marlin on my gold chain. He almost always had them on. He took them off in the emergency room and handed them to me and I’ve been wearing them ever since.

Santino knows the gold marlin will one day be his and he’s often asked me to let him wear it. Um, no. You’re four years old. Things happen. And I knew if something were to happen to the chain or the marlin, he’d never forgive himself.

And besides, I needed to wear it.

Until his first day of school, in the jewelry department, in Walmart. He didn’t ask. I just slipped it over his head and told him he could wear it for the day (while I was with him).

He was thrilled. I was thrilled that he was thrilled. He left it on about 60 seconds and then carefully took it off and put it back over my head.

“Here Gramma. I want you to wear it and keep it safe.”

It might’ve been his first day of school but this kid already knows and understands a whole lot more than many adults I know.

How was your first day of school? Did you make it without shedding any tears? Did you do something special to commemorate the day?