Simon was not in the best mood on Tuesday morning as we prepared to send him off to his first real day of kindergarten on the bus. He didn't even want to pose for a picture at first.
But after we made Alice do it, he acquiesced, reluctantly.
Once we got a few mediocre pictures, we headed off to the bus stop.
The bus passes our stop first, picks up people at the other end of the neighborhood, then comes back.
Zac preps Simon for the moment of departure.
It took a very long time, but we eventually got him on the bus. The driver was very patient, saying she had her own kindergartner starting that morning as well. The stopped traffic that was piling up in both directions...maybe not so much. Although once Simon did get on the bus and the traffic was released, one kind woman shouted out her window, "I bet that about broke your heart." So thank you for kind and empathetic people in the world.
I made it through the departure without crying (since having my illness I've been unusually emotionally dead inside -- no energy for feelings anymore I guess). But as soon as the bus pulled away and we waved to Simon through the bus window, I broke down. The hardest part was just putting him on the bus when he felt so scared (even though I knew it would be fine-- he was with Alice after all).
When I picked him up from school that day, he said he had a fun day. He was pretty sparse on the details, but the teacher sent this paper home:
