Sunday, February 08, 2009

Next week will be easier

I'm feeling wrung out, it's been that kind of week. It started with sending the little boy off to school and ended with a record-breakingly hot day and awful bushfires. In the midst was the enormous emotional involvement of navigating Cherub through his first week as a schoolboy. Not to mention trying to get used to being on my own every day.

first day of school_7724

This was the face that greeted me at school pick-up time on Cherub's first two days of school. He's been happy to go to school in the morning, fine all during the day, but then he'd walk out the door at half past two, see me, and just crumple. His teacher assures me he's having a good time in the classroom. She says he puts up his hand and answers questions and joins in. Although one of the very few things he's actually told me was that he chose to sit out when the class played some basketball on his second day because he was so tired and he missed-ed me. The mental picture I had of him sitting forlornly in the shade made me feel like crying again.

Anyway. At the end of Day 3 he was droopy-but-not-crying and on the Friday he ran out and hugged me happily. Meantime he's been eating like a horse, extremely fragile under pressure and he kisses and tells me he loves me at at roughly 5-minute intervals. The Climber is being a very kind and caring big brother in the playground and took calm control when the Cherub had his first playground injury (nasty grazed forearm); first comforting him and then escorting him to the yard duty teacher with the first aid kit. Or as Cherub described her the person what was wearing a lallow coat and hadded a hostibal bag.

22 comments:

  1. So sorry to see Cherub's sad little face. Sometimes they do play to the gallery....
    I did laugh at the lallow coat & the hospital bag!
    How lovely to have an older brother to be so caring.... just what I need!

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  2. That face made me laugh.

    Sorry. But it did.

    I know I am a bad person.

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  3. My boy says hostibal too! And missed-ed. And 'scuse me I burped-ed. :)

    Awwwww, the first days of school...

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  4. I forgot to record the sad things he told me as he cried. You have to imagine them being said in a crying voice with quavering and high-pitchedness.
    1. People keep bumping into me-e-e.
    2. I didn't have time to finish my lu-u-unch.
    3. I lost my ha-a-t but then the teacher found i-i-i-t.

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  5. I have spent many an afternoon trying to explain to a parent comforting a small child that s/he has had a fabulous time and there were no tears until s/he saw the parent - honest!

    As a wise pre-school (kinder) teacher once told me 'when the parent turns up it is safe for the child to relinquish control and fall apart'. It made so much sense to me. It also explains WHY my children could be hideous and stroppy all morning with me and yet go and be all cheery and polite at school.

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  6. He's lucky to have a caring brother to pick up his little school-jittery pieces. Next week will be much better.

    It's just that seeing you at the end of the day reminds him of what he's missing at home. You.

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  7. yay for big brothers

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  8. Oh that face!

    Next week WILL be better.

    I am so sad about the awful loss of life in Victoria.

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  9. Oh that face ! Its ripping me apart...
    What Trash says is true...it takes so much effort to keep it all together at school that sometimes they just fall apart when you arrive....

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  10. I just want to kiss his cheeks and feed him icecream. Poor little guy. School is a tough world.

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  11. Next week WILL be better. Poor darling.

    The stamina thing is really hard for some for them. And the eating quickly enough to not feel left behind when the playing starts.

    And the RAVENOUS appetites after school. You need a picnic prepared. My youngest always ate the best after school, of the whole day.

    Push through. It will become a routine soon.

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  12. Poor little fella! It will get a bit better every day.
    I pump the boys for information every day about what they are doing at school "and then what", "what about after that". Youngest never can remember. He usually tells me a week after the event.

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  13. Oh that little face is heartbreaking. He must be very tired after such a long day. On the bright side, he's excited to see you! The same thing is happening over here. Keep strong...! And a big hug to you.

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  14. I've been over here praying that none of my friends in Oz are in danger.

    Aunty Evil really IS Evil. How could you laugh at that FACE! I want to hug him. And cry too. Thank God for Climber. And the school nurse in her lallow coat.

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  15. My daughter started Kindergarten this year and although she has always been extremely adaptable this one was a tough one. Now, she doesn't want to leave when I go and get her. Hope it stays that way throughout all her school years but I doubt it.

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  16. Poor little mite. It's so hard and exhausting for them at first, makes you just want to bring them home.

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  17. Oh, the saddest face ever!

    Sounds like it's getting better, though....hooray!

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  18. Okay, that face killed me. My, oh, my.

    Thanks so much for visiting my blog - yours is awesome!

    Take care...

    :^) Anna

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  19. OH my! That little face is tragic. SO SO sad...

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  20. Oh that face!

    I'm glad he's coming around. Growing pains are hard on us all.

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  21. Oh god, that is the saddest picture I've ever seen. Poor boy. Poor mom. It'll get better.

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