First morning of school

This morning was Nathan's first morning of school. I know that he was super excited and was really looking forward to riding the school bus. (The school provides a few courtesy stops around town for the town & daycare kids)

Nathan must have heard me in the basement this morning starting a load of laundry so he comes down about half way and tells me that it is time to start getting ready for school. This is at 6:30 in the morning! I tell him that he should go back to bed and rest for while as it isn't time to start getting ready yet. He asks if he can go watch cartoons so I tell him that it is okay. I finish getting ready and about 7:00, I go into the living room and tell him that it is time to finally start getting ready. Nathan is getting himself dressed while I am getting his brothers dressed. I did not rush the boys this morning as I was planning on sticking around daycare until I seen him get on the bus. I take two pictures of him outside to memorialize the start of school. We get to daycare a little later than normal and Nathan and his brothers eat breakfast. I am talking to the two daycare teachers about life in general, and all of a sudden we see the bus pull up. I rush out the door chasing Nathan so that I can get a picture of him getting on the school bus. He was so anxious to get on the bus that he forgot to look back at me so that I could get a picture. Luckily the bus driver (who is my parents friend) told Nathan to turn around so that I could get a picture.

I think that Nathan wasn't scared about starting school because he knew the teacher from the county and state fair. He also knows the bus driver because of my parents and the bus driver was also at the State Fair with us last year. He even recognizes the room aide because their daughter played basketball with my sister Stacey and Nathan would see her at basketball games. She also walks around town a lot and always says hello.

I know that I have been using the word bittersweet a lot, but that is the only to describe what I am feeling lately. I remember when I sent all my kids to daycare for the first time after maternity leave and I went back to work. Everyone asked me if it was hard for me, and did I cry? I replied that I had no problems and no emotional moments. That never bothered me. Even with Justin, knowing that he was my last one, it never phased me for a moment bringing him to daycare for the first time. Seeing my first born get on the school bus this morning? I had a hard time swallowing because of the lump in my throat.