ANTHONY'S FIRST DAY

It has been quite the week with Ava and Lucas starting school yesterday, and Anthony starting preschool today. As I said in my post yesterday, things went swimmingly for Ava and Lucas on their first day - they were happy to get on the bus and go to school, and happy when they arrived home that afternoon.

Unfortunately, today for Anthony, this was not the case. And I can say that I am not really all that surprised as out of all the kids, he has been the one that has had the hard time being away from me. I guess "hard" really is not the best way to describe it, I would instead say excruciatingly unbearable. Really. To give you an idea of his need to always be near me, here are some examples of things he enjoys doing thoughout the day at home:

When we are in the house together he enjoys sitting on the same couch or chair as me no matter how snug it is. He enjoys sitting on my lap if I happen to be working on the computer, laying on the rug in front of the shower door while I am getting cleaned up for the day, sitting on the floor of the laundry room by my feet while I fold the laundry.... You get the idea, he just does not enjoy being all that far away from me.

So when we were driving to preschool this afternoon I was not surprised to find him sobbing uncontrollably saying over and over again, "I don't wanna go to kool (school), I'm tie-ad (tired) my eyes hut (hurt). I want to go home. Pease Momma. I don't wanna go to kool. I wan't to stay home with yoooouuuuuu!!!"

It was then that I realized any little spark of hope I had of his first day of school going smoothly was out the window, and that I would be dealing with a very upset little boy when it came time for me to leave him at school.

We arrived in the parking lot, where he decided to not unbuckle. He said "I'm not going Momma. I am staying wight here."

"No, Anthony it is time to get out of the car. You will have so much fun at school, I know you will."

Sobbing again ensued: "Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!"

I finally managed to get him out of the car, where he stood in the parking lot, looking very sad,

and crying and pleading with me to take him home.

I tried to get his mind off of the fact that I was leaving him there for 2 1/2 hours, and onto the idea that he was going to have such fun he would not even realize I would be gone,

but all my attempts seemed to be to no avail....

Until, all of a sudden, he began being silly covering his eyes so that I could not get a picture of him.

And when he pulled his hand away from his face - what do you know - he was smiling.

And laughing....

Maybe this would not be so bad after all. Maybe.

Sadly, my hopes were again shattered when I ever so casually mentioned that we should get inside and into the classroom. This time I did not get the tears, or sad face, I was the recipient of the ever so lovely angry face. I could tell he had had enough. He was tired of playing the I am so sad card, and decided to move onto the I am very angry one.

Well, the anger is always easier to deal with as I don't feel bad like I do when he cries and gives me his sad face. So I grabbed his little hand and helped him into the door, down the hall and into his classroom. Where I managed to get him laughing and happy again.



But this was short lived, as when I got up to leave the room he began crying, and screaming "Don't weave me, don't weave me Momma!!"

Good Lord. Do you think a child could possibly experience any more emotions in one day?

As I drove home, I thought of him at preschool, most likely done with the crying and onto playing happily with the other kids. I thought of how fast he has grown up and how very bittersweet it is that he is now going to school. My Anthony Thomas, my preschooler.