Our last first day of preschool...........ever

It's official, Sam is now back in school.  And it is our last year at preschool- not only for him but for our entire family.  Our sixth and final year of painted macaroni jewelry, tissue paper stained glass crosses, painted pillow cases and snack buckets.

Last week I took sam for his orientation.  He gets to play with his new room toys, meet his teachers, see the others who will share his personal space all year and us parents get to hear the rules. again.  The rules have not changed at all in the six times I've listened to them.  The first year I went, I took notes.  The last year, I wished I had a book. 

Sam has this thing he has learned from his dad.  It involves taking basic names of objects and applying a body part and calling another person that.  It's not my favorite thing, but it is part of my husband and for that it makes me smile.  He will flip out names like cheese head, pickle brain, sausage belly- you get the picture.  Sam- being his son- has picked up on this fine art.  He does it to me, his sisters, his dad, the neighbors.  Whomever.

After orientation, I came back to Sam's classroom to find him eating a snack with his new buddies.  He showed me some of the super rad new toys in his new classroom, pointed out the size of his new room and packed it up to head home.  I said my goodbyes to other kids parents and his teachers and we headed out the door. 

Just as we were exiting, Sam turns around and in the LOUDEST voice he owns screamed out his goodbye to his new teachers............."Bye Pot Head".  I couldn't even turn around.  I can only imagine the looks on those faces of all those people.  We just went out the door.  Of all the nouns in the universe, he happened to join that one with that particular body part.

I hope they are ready for this child.  Probably works out well that he's our last.  We can avoid that whole "Mrs. Goble, would you mind switching to that nice baptist preschool down the road" talk.

So on to his first day.  With two previous girls- I have lived the first day of school thing but in a different kind of light.  Girls wear dress shoes, skirts, flowery shirts, hair bows, braids, headbands.  First day of school is a formal event for girls.

For Sam- it involved picking a brand spankin new pair of stretchy pants and the best star wars shirt money can buy.  And he was bustin' at the seams to get to wear it.

But not with his new shoes.  No way.  He doesn't want to ruin them.  He dug out his old shoes with the holes- those will be perfect for the playground.  He'll save his new shoes for less messy occassions.

I was glad to return to pick him up.  I wanted to hear all about his first day.  I pulled his head to mine, smooched his soft soft neck and told him how much I had missed him.

"I didn't miss you Mom".

Nice.

I can only imagine when he leaves for college.  I'm going to be sure not to teach him how to operate a washing machine- at least that will ensure he will come home at least for clean clothes.