Tuesday 6 September 2011

Not just a one-off

Today, having:
  • not slept all night
  • deliberated over blue v grey school tights between 2am and 4am
  • woken up to the alarm (for the first time in years) having just got to sleep
  • considered whether to phone the kids in sick and get more sleep
  • woken the kids up
  • meticulously packed their lunch boxes with an array of impressive food items
  • given them a proper hearty breakfast, as opposed to their usual Cheerios
  • got them dressed
  • felt surges of pride towards them
  • taken hundreds of photos of them in their uniform
  • bribed them with sweets to stand still, hold hands, and say 'cheese' while smiling nicely
  • joined the scrum in the school car park, trying to find somewhere to park
  • nervously walked Betty into her new classroom
  • stopped myself from bawling
  • stopped myself from begging Betty to come back home with me
  • clocked that I was fatter than all the other mums
  • realised that I had forgotten to brush in all the Batiste dry shampoo on my hair
  • walked Dolly into her pre-school
  • stopped myself from bawling
  • clocked that I was fatter than all the other mums
  • taken some paracetamol
  • moped around, hoping that my kids were ok and having a nice time
  • ran to the loo a lot
  • re-joined the scrum in the car park, and made an embarrassing hash of trying to reverse the new people carrier
  • cursed Tom for not removing the attention-grabbing pod from the roof
  • tried to extract information, in vain, out of both girls about what they had been doing all day
  • eavesdropped on a conversation between Betty and Dolly about what they had been doing all day
  • carefully removed school uniform and folded it up neatly
  • uploaded a photo onto Facebook of the girls in their uniform
  • unpacked bags and lunch boxes, and washed flasks
  • prepared a special celebratory 'first day of school' supper
  • taken some paracetamol
  • got the kids to bed
  • wondered whether wine with a banging headache was a good idea...

I slumped into a chair, breathed a huge sigh of relief, and thought 'thank goodness that's all over with'.  I have been so focused on 'the first day' that I think I subconsiously thought that that is all it was, one day, before getting back to staying in bed for as long as we liked, and having tea and toast in front of CBeebies, wearing nothing but gold sparkly tights and tiaras all day (the kids not me) and all meals casually merging into one.

It slowly dawned on me, as I lay in an exhausted and emotional heap, that we had to do the whole thing again tomorrow... and the next day... and the next...

18 comments:

Irene said...

You won't be an emotional wreck on the other days as they will not be first days again. It will all become routine and you will be fine. It seems that the girls took it all in their stride and so will you. I hope you get a good night's sleep.

XOX

Expat mum said...

Phew I'm exhausted and we're not even back at school yet!

Elsie Button said...

HI Nora, yes the girls were fine, and i am sitting here in bed mentally preparing myself for another day of 'school'

Hi Expat, it's an exhausting business!

san said...

I'm an emotional wreck just reading that. I'm sure it will get easier x

Elsie Button said...

Hi Sandy, yes i am sure it will, it's just a massive re-adjustment! i liked having control over what we did with our days :) x

Mel x said...

Your blog never fails to make me laugh! luckily I've got nearly 5 years until my baby goes to school!

www.mummy-roc-babyboy.blogspot.com

Louise said...

I was exactly the same.

Yesterday evening, I slumped down on the sofa as a huge wave of relief washed over me. Then, it suddenly dawned on me that this is how it now is until the next 7 years! Cue more tears!

I am finding this much harder than I imagined. Anna, on the other hand, is loving it!

Elsie Button said...

Hi Miss Roc, those 5 years will go in a flash :)

Hi Louise, i think we must take heart in the fact that the girls are loving it - and be v v proud! (it's bloody hard tho)

Emma said...

I too had the relief, followed by the 'oh no, this is forever' feeling. But there will still be tea, toast, tiaras and CBeebies in the school holidays and weekends. Six weeks and counting until half term!

Elsie Button said...

Hi Emma, yay to the school holidays! hope it all went smoothly for you x

Emma said...

I have lots of sympathy, I am going through the same thing today! It is my 4yo sons 1st day at school tomorrow and also my daughters 1st day at Pre-School, So today I am feeling all the above also. Hope the emotions and stress ease off for you this week ....Wish me luck! I will be a bawling wreck tomorrow!

Elsie Button said...

Hi Emma, good luck!! it's an emotional time - but exciting times! x

Rachel said...

This sounds so very much like my day. Here's hoping it gets easier for us both! Just off to locate the paracetamol...

Elsie Button said...

Hi Manana Mama, thanks for visiting - hope tomorrow is less stressful! x

Maxine said...

A year into this school malarkey, I can confirm that on your child's first day at school she/he makes a solemn vow to never tell you what she/he has been up to that day! On questioning, they either remain silent or say "can't remember". Even the FBI couldn't crack them.

Glad you survived it!

Maxine
x

Elsie Button said...

Hi Maxine, yes! and i remember vividly being exactly the same when i was little - my mum would always ask me what i had done at school, and i found it intensely annoying and would tell her nothing!

Emma @mummymummymum said...

We had our first day today...it will take some getting used to! I am already looking back longingly to lazy pj filled mornings..

Kerri @ baby monitors online said...

Sounds like you had a busy day, but I'm sure you will be used to it after the first couple of weeks.