While He Was At Preschool

Every single day after we walk his sister to school, James says to me, “Go to James’ school now?” Yesterday I finally got to say yes, and he gasped and said, “YAAAAY!” Yep, it’s your turn, buddy!!

James bounced out of bed yesterday, which was a miracle because he is normally a huge grouch in the mornings (just like his mom). He was anxious to get ready, and kept saying, “Go see Miss T and Miss H,” the preschool teachers. While we waited for Annabel to finish getting ready for school, we took some pictures. As you can see, he took things seriously.

He also wanted a picture with his most prized possession, his BB-8 lunchbox

We each grabbed a quick picture with him:

Annabel was SO PROUD of James. She told everyone we passed on our walk to her school — neighbors, the crossing guard, random parents — that it was her brother’s first day of preschool.

After we dropped Annabel off at her classroom, James and I headed to his preschool. When we pulled in he said, “Look Mommy, kids!” He practically skipped from the car to the classroom, where I pinned on his name tag.

Then he grabbed my hand and said, “Come on, Mommy,” and walked me into the classroom. I could see his head spinning by all the kids, toys, and play stations, but he quickly settled on some cars.

The younger brother of one of Annie’s friends is in his class, so once he arrived I felt like it was safe to say goodbye. I gave James a hug and kiss and said, “Have so much fun today with Miss T and Miss H and L! I’ll be back soon!” And then I left. James and his friend, L, looked a little bewildered, but there were no tears so I considered it a victory!

So what did I do with my child-free time? I’d like to tell you that I went to the gym, or that I got a ton of work done, or that I cleaned the kitchen, but that would be a lie. When I got home, I took off my pants and laid on my bed until it was time to pick up James. It was the most silent my house has ever been and other than missing the pitter-patter of Rigby’s paws, I really enjoyed having literal quiet time all alone. I might have even dozed off! I know, I’m living the dream.

When I picked James up, I laughed at his artwork:

Those are supposed to be hand prints!

He ran out of his classroom and held up a bag of play-doh that a classmate had handed out in honor of her birthday. The first thing he said to me was, “I got play-doh!” So he’s thinking preschool is pretty great now, what with the bags of play-doh handed out after class.

I spoke with one of his teachers and she said that James did great. No crying, lots of playing, and lots of singing. When she said that I asked, “Oh, did he sing along to the preschool songs?” And she said, “Yes, but he was also singing Cheap Thrills and Uptown Funk.” Good ol’ James.

In all, it was a good day for him. When I asked him if he had fun, he said “yeah,” and when I asked him if he wanted to go back, he said yeah to that, too. So effusive! But I quickly realized why he was so subdued:

Kid was exhausted from all that fun and learning. He slept for THREE HOURS. Hurray for preschool!!!