First Day of School!! (Aidan starts 1st grade and Liam starts nursery school)

Today is the day that I've been awaiting with both anxiety, excitement and a ambivilence.  It's the day the kids go back to school - and for Liam, starts school.  I think I always get this way after a long summer with both kids.  But as much as they make me crazy, I love having them home with me.  As I write this, I'm excited about the new opportunities having an "empty nest" provides for me from a work and social standpoint, but it's also very quiet and lonely right now.  There is supposed to be someone here needing something at this very moment and can't possibly wait for it...but no, no one needs anything.  And it's a strange feeling not being needed at the moment. 

But it's an exciting feeling too!  I'm so excited for both Aidan and Liam.  Aidan has officially become a 1st grader now and is so proud of himself.  He finished his "homework" for the summer last night at bedtime - nothing like coming down to the wire right?  I think after a summer with very few social opportunities he was thrilled to be going back to some structure and to his friends here in Barcelona.  As a matter of fact he was so excited that when I was taking a shower this morning, he woke up and came into the bathroom to brush his teeth.  I suggested to him that he bring his clothes downstairs to change into when he was ready and his response "but I'm already dressed Mom".  What???  Who is this kid?  I guess he really was excited!  I've never had a morning where we don't argue over him not wanting to get dressed.  Ok then... on to your brother...

Liam ready to go with his backpack on - getting a little support from his big brother today!

And same thing - so excited!  After 8 months home with me, I think he's ready.  More ready than I was to let go.  He's my baby and I wasn't planning on him going to school full time til he was in kindergarten.  I know many of my friends have had kids in daycare full time and it's not a big deal to transition to regular school for them, but I've been really lucky to have Liam home with me part time since day one and full time since we have been here in Barcelona.  So to go from all to nothing in a day is a bit of a shock to me.  He walked around the apartment this morning with his backpack on - just so incredibly excited for his new journey!  The only issues we had were related to the bus (I could tell he was starting to get carsick - hmmm that could be a problem) and when we got to the school and there were families crowded everywhere for the first day.  I think the crowds freaked him a bit (and me too!).  But once he was in his class and found a few trucks to play with, I knew all was good in the world and it was ok to let him go. 

Outside our building - getting ready for the 4 block walk to the bus stop (without the stroller!)

Here comes the school bus (and no it's not a big yellow bus - they do things differently here)

Aidan's classroom - happy kid ready to be back to school!

Liam a little ambivilent yet had no problems waving goodbye to me as I left him for his first day of nursery school!

As I write this, it is almost noontime and the school nurse has just called - Liam has already injured himself.  It's a shocker, I know.  Apparently he fell and bit his tongue which of course, was bleeding (as tongues usually do).  They wanted to know if I'd like to come and get him... um, no.  It's not like he broke his arm - he bit his tongue.  Really they wanted me to come and get him for that???  So much for a simple, easy first day of school!

Here's hoping this energy remains thru the school year (at the very least, thru the week!) and that the 2010-2011 school year will be a little less bumpy than last year though we obviously won't be injury free at this rate!  Good luck today boys!

Julie