• Thoughts

    How a mother should feel on the first day of kindergarten

    It was the first real day of kindergarten, and the rain was pouring down. Our original plan was to walk to school, and I’d escort my proud newbie to his class. But instead, I announced that they would be dropped off in carpool and walk in together. There were no tears, no waves over the shoulder, just an efficient evacuation out the back door and heads-down determination not to get too wet. When I pulled into the garage back home, I was hit by a twinge of mommy guilt and drove back to school to go in and give my baby boy a hug. He was sitting at the table…

  • Thoughts

    School Jitters

    Every couple weeks or so, I get the school jitters. Last night it came of the tail of showing up early in the carpool line as a special treat (usually I roll up just as the line starts moving), waiting 30 minutes for my kindergartener and then getting spoken to with an attitude that I’m sure he never gives his teacher or any of the school staff. My child is sweet and smart and I know after being on his very best behavior all day, I’m a safe place to unwind. So I walk the line of piling on grace and asserting the boundaries of what is an acceptable way…