First day of kindergarten
(The NYC Modern School, ca. 1911-1912, Principal Will Durant and pupils.)
We got to the bus stop ten minutes early and got to watch as buses from other schools and metro buses passed by in every direction. I think we counted ten school buses. When the boy's bus came, they slowed down as they approached and then zoomed on by before we could read the bus number. I chased it down the block and everyone got on just fine.
It's amazing how much he has grown since that first day I met him, when he was so tiny and delicate. All he knew how to do was squeeze my finger and let out a weak newborn cry. Now I look at him and marvel at how fully independent he is, like there's nothing he can't do. Though I look forward to seeing him through all the growth ahead of him.
And now I look at wee one, who really needs a better name than wee one. She's the big girl of the house most days now and she'll get a chance to stand tall as the big kid in preschool, out from under the shadow of her big brother for the first time.
Being a younger child myself, I remember the days of special time alone or with my mom. By mid-afternoon, I'd be bored of the quiet house and empty neighborhood and keeping an eye out for the school bus bringing noise and fun. I also remember many afternoons demanding that my older sister teach me everything she learned in school that day, sure that she was holding back vital knowledge.