Garden for Children

Today is the day! The day that we have been counting down to for two weeks. The day that the special shirt and shoes can be worn. The day that some parents jump for joy while others cry. For most schools in Iowa, today is the first day of school.

As a teacher, I loved going back to school. I looked forward to all the new school supplies, the new bulletin board design, and the new students. Even the old students had a fresh start. The smell of waxed floor, shop, and dirt (from the attached greenhouse) was always a welcomed calling card.

 

 

When I left teaching I didn't miss any of it, but that was when I had a 3-year old, a 2-year old, and a brewing baby in utero. I had a year of babies with more potty training talk than any contemplation of school.

Last year both boys went off to preschool-3-year old and 4-year old. It was tough, but they were only there half days every other day. Today my 5-year old started Kindergarten, which means he will spend more time at school than at home. I coped by avoiding to buy school supplies for as long as possible, which my mother-in-law did mostly. My husband took care of the uniform, which meant he ordered 5 pairs of the same pants and shirts from Amazon.

When my Kindergartener asked me how many days until the first day of school, I knew I had to start sharing his excitement. He was happy to tell his little brother that he was going to the big kid classroom with bigger toys.

So everyone in the family woke up bright and early this morning, and both boys dressed in the school uniform. My preschooler doesn't start school for another week and doesn't have to wear the uniform, but he wanted to be like his "best big brother." He even wore his backpack to help drop off his brother. When it was time to say goodbye, my Kindergartener could not wait to play while my preschooler cried.

I made the usual "first day of kindergarten" sign and I looked up kindergarten to check my spelling. The first definition that came up was "garden for children." I will now think of it like that.