Howard’s Very Big Day

So I’m happy to report that Howard LOVES school.

This is not a huge surprise given that he also loves grocery carts, Veggie Tales t-shirts and English peas.

Oh, and air.

We knew he’d be enthusiastic about preschool; we just didn’t know how he’d react to being at a new place. He was crazy about his Mother’s Day Out and talked about it all summer long, so we were a little bit afraid that he’d arrive at his new school, see that it wasn’t his old MDO and then commence with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

But here’s what he did when the carpool person opened the door Wednesday morning: “GOOD MORNING! Are you going to take me to my class?”

So I’m pretty sure that he was fine.

I went to pick him up right before lunch, and while I had heard stories about how carpool pick-up can be rough for the first couple of weeks, I figured it couldn’t be too bad. In fact, I was so confident that I understood how pick-up worked that I didn’t even bother to look at the carpool map beforehand because GAH, Y’ALL – IT CAN’T BE THAT HARD.

Ahem.

And I will pause for a moment while you seasoned carpool professionals laugh at me.

It seems that there was a critical point in the carpool pick-up process when I should’ve turned and made a loop instead of continuing to go straight, and as a result of my navigational gaffe I ended up blocking a large line of cars that were trying to make their way out of the aforementioned loop.

So I created a bit of a bottleneck. Oh yes I did.

What’s even more embarrassing is that I really had no idea I was doing anything wrong. I was smiling and waving and LOOK, EVERYONE! I AM A COURTEOUS CARPOOL DRIVER! HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

And all the while a very long line of cars could not turn right, turn left or do the hokey pokey and turn themselves about. Thanks to, you know, me.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t merge into the traffic ahead of me, I couldn’t get out of the way, and I certainly couldn’t turn to the right, which is of course what I should have done to begin with, only I didn’t know that because of my previously mentioned failure to realize that CARPOOL MAPS, THEY ARE HANDY.

Finally, though, the traffic jam ahead of me started to move, and after I let, like, two hundred and forty nine cars have the right of way, I was able to merge into the proper carpool lane.

Never let it be said that I don’t know how to make a memorable first impression, my friends.

About fifteen minutes later, I pulled up in front of the school to get the little man. And I have to tell you: when I saw our child walk out of the school holding his teacher’s hand – just as confident and happy and cute as he could be – well, my heart splintered into a million bittersweet pieces. Before I even knew what hit me, I was wiping away the tears.

I love that boy.

After school we met my friend NK and her girls for lunch. NK is one of my closest friends; her older daughter and Alex have been buddies since they were babies. Last week we found out that they were going to be in the same class – and not only that, they have assigned seats next to each other. Alex doesn’t know anyone at New School, but having AC beside him makes him feel right at home. NK filled that exact same role in my life when we moved here seven years ago. God is faithful.

As we systematically demolished a round of chips and queso dip, Alex and AC told us all about the games they played on their first day of school. They talked about their story time, their playground time and their trip to the treasure chest. And as I listened to them, I wondered how in the world we managed to get from this: