Tuesday, August 19, 2008

first day

Their new backpacks and lunchboxes sit by the door, waiting. “Is it time to go?" Twin B. asks.

“Almost.” I tell him.

I think of all the long days of parenting two babies, then two toddlers, then two preschoolers. How many times did I wish for this day? I wonder. And now it’s here—the first day of first grade—and I can’t believe it.

Twin B. walks ahead with his dad and baby b. while Twin A. and I walk behind them, talking.

“Where do I hang my backpack again?” he asks.

“On the hook with your name,” I tell him.

I watch as he struggles with the straps on his backpack. “This is heavy,” he tells me.

“I know, A. You’re doing a good job with it.” I want to reach over and take the backpack from him, carry it for awhile, but hold myself back. It’s not the right thing for my boy. He needs to carry his own pack.

Pictures and hugs and smiles as they join their friends in line, eager for this new year.

I bake a pan of brownies after lunch, hoping to make this cute pencil cake, but the brownies break around the middle, leaving a gooey mess of brownie stuck to the pan.

No cute cake to greet the noisy boy after school, just more hugs and smiles and a listening ear. Gooey brownies eaten from the pan will be fine, I think, adjusting my expectations.

It is what it is, right? The noisy boys would have gotten a kick out of the cake, but a brownie is a brownie—always a good thing!

Edited to add: The noisy boys had a great first day of school and the brownies were a big hit. Yay!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aww They grow up so fast!

Anonymous said...

Brownies are good and all, but I suspect it's the one who made them that they're most excited to see after school.

Anonymous said...

You are a GOOD mom!!

Love ya!!!
(:-)
.

Anonymous said...

you ARE a good mom! thanks for the tearjerking post. I needed another special reason to cry today.
glad you made it through day one - how did baby b. enjoy the freedom!?!?!

terra

Mandy said...

Awww, a big day, huh? I'm sure they loved the brownies...it's definitely the thought that counts. They'll remember that.

TJ Wilson said...

Great reminder - I'll need that box of brownies for Monday.
Enjoy the start of this new year...

Unknown said...

That is a sweet post. It is so good to blog about these feelings that you have so that you can look back. I wish I had started blogging when my kids were babies because I forget so much.

I love that cake too. I need to look on Family Fun more.

Thanks again for the great post.