The day started out pretty good. I woke up Aidan for school, he reluctantly got up and started getting ready for school. He still barely drinks anything that early and now refuses to eat the fruit loops. I figure lunch is actually breakfast at 10:30am so that is probably when he'll be hungry anyways. I pack up his backpack and I write a note to the teacher. Aidan had stepped on some glass Tuesday night and sliced pretty good his big toe. If they have P.E. today (I have not been given their daily schedules from their teacher), I want to make sure if it's bothering him that they know he might not want to jump up and down on it. I also add that I don't think he's drinking enough. It's very hot here and he is use to being home and whenever he is thirsty, I give him a drink. Aidan drank maybe 3 ounces of tea before he left for school yesterday & today so I want the teacher to show him where the water fountain is and remind him to drink plenty of water. I also packed a cold water bottle in his backpack in case he has P.E. I was given an information sheet that says to bring a water bottle every day to class. I show Aidan that I'm putting it in his backpack and that he NEEDS to drink more at school. I've been informed that all communication with the teacher to parent is done in a blue PLASTIC folder that stays in his backpack. The teacher collects it everyday and sends it home everyday with notes, homework, any fliers with info. So I put the note to the teacher in the folder & also put his necklace/bus tag with name in the folder so she can put it back on him when it's time to leave for the bus in the afternoon. We walk to the bus stop. I'm very happy that Rachel isn't embarrassed to help out a Kindergartner. Aidan sits with her on the bus so he isn't alone. This makes me feel so good.
Today is early day. Why we have early day on Wednesdays is beyond me. Only 1 hour a week they get out early. So I have set an alarm in my cell phone for Wednesday to remind me that he gets home at 2:37 instead of 3:37. I go about my day. It is very quiet here. Skylar is trying to make up for Aidan being gone. She plays in his rooms, tries on his clothes and enjoys all of the attention just on her. She asks me every 30 minutes if it is time to pick up Aidan. :) She is adorable! She puts her shoes on an hour before his bus is supposed to be here because she is so anxious. I'm feeling a lot more relaxed. I'm trying to get in this new groove of getting Aidan ready for school, having the entire afternoon to be with Skylar & to get some work done around the house and on the computer. Then when he gets home he's always hungry and sleepy but he hasn't taken a nap yet.
My sister arrives again to walk down to Aidan's bus stop with us (she lives in the same neighborhood). Her & Skylar are already out the door early before I've even found my shoes! I wait for the bus, the big yellow flat front bus comes around the corner and I'm very confident that he'll be on it. I wait & watch all of the kids one by one walk off of the bus, Finally I see Rachel and right behind her is Aidan. Smiling. They sat together and Aidan showed me the stick people drawings he made while on the bus. Super Cute! Rachel told her mom who told me that She's happy to help Aidan, It's like having a little brother she says. That makes me very happy.
We walk home from the bus stop and I'm digging in his backpack. I ask if he ate all of his lunch, what stories he read today, and If he played on the playground. We get home & I look in his little blue folder, and there is my note to the teacher and his bus necklace still in there. I also have a note shoved into his backpack saying to "please return the blue folder & the bus pass to the teacher EVERY DAY thanks!", I'm confused. I've also been informed that due to new "privacy rules" teachers are no longer allowed to touch a students backpack, therefor my 5 year old has to understand to give the blue folder to her everyday all by himself. I found her email address (I was never given his teachers proper contact information) and I sent her a message saying his folder, a note & his bus pass were in his backpack, why didn't you get it. She replied she asked him for it and he said he didn't have it. Well there is your first mistake, trusting a 5 year old on the 3rd day of school to understand that he has an important blue folder he must keep track of & hand in to the teacher. I don't know how she asked him or any other student for the folder, but I'm pretty sure is she walked up to him and said open your backpack, Aidan is there a blue folder in there, can I have it please? He would have looked or showed her his backpack WITHOUT HER TOUCHING IT :( that is was or was not in there. Do not expect a 5 year old to be in charge of answering truthful questions like that. Aidan is the sky blue? "no I think it's red". Again, he's 5. Now I'm not saying Aidan would actually think blue is red, he does know his colors very well (you know if the buses were named colors instead of vague animals he might have gotten on the right bus the first day), but I needed an example and it's all I could think of.
I do not like all of these new stupid rules that schools come out with. All food must be in a sealed store bought container for all school functions. (Another parent informed me of this, not the school that would wait until I show up with something homemade then make me take it back home.) I will NEVER be allowed to bake cupcakes for Aidan's 6th birthday in school. How sad of a world we live in. The teacher is NOT allowed to help him in the bathroom whatsoever. She's not allowed in there when he is. I understand that for 2-5th graders but the first week of Kindergarten? Ridiculous! She isn't ALLOWED to look in his backpack for any reason. Who came up with that stupid rule? There is nothing in a Kindergartner's backpack that would invade his privacy. Can I opt out of this rule? Is there a waver I can sign? Please go digging for gold in his backpack. Find his jacket if he's cold, make sure his lunch box is in there, this elusive blue folder you speak of, please go digging for that one! His water bottle I hope he's using but probably isn't because you aren't allowed to get it out of his backpack and make him drink it. I'm not saying I want his teacher to be 100% mommy. After all him going to Kindergarten is the next stage in him growing into a big boy. I get it, but I want a loving caring environment for his Kindergarten year. IT IS a transition between mommy to teacher, so why shouldn't the rules for Kindergarten be 1/2 mommy, and 1/2 teacher? First grade can be teacher/student, but for all of us first time mommies out there with their first born off to school, I think whoever is coming up with these rules and plans should be fired.
For now Aidan is home safe and sound, an hour early for some strange reason, and hopefully tomorrow he will wake up willing and wanting to attend kindergarten yet again. 3 days down, 1 whole more year to go! Can't wait :)
Thank God for Rachel...really!
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