Our Life By The Sea: August 2009

Drew started Kindergarten yesterday. After the day we had Tuesday on Eli's first day, yesterday was quite uneventful. No wrenches in tires on the way to drop off. No police car rides. No bleeding. No frogs.

Just a big girl really excited for big girl school.

She started out today, day 2, by telling me she didn't want me to walk her in, she just wanted to do the drop off line so she can "practice and get used to it" and asked me to do the car pick up line as well so she could be a big girl. And last night before bed, I got kicked out in the middle of reading her a book because I think she was afraid I might still be there when she fell asleep and she wanted "to go to sleep like a Kindergartner, which I assume means Kindergartners fall asleep by themselves. I didn't know.

It's been a big week around here and a transition for all of us. I think she's handling it beautifully, and learning some valuable lessons already. I can tell Drew's a sensitive girl, but I think her loving and friendly ways will go far for her as she makes this gigantic leap.

Today was Eli's first day of school. He started preschool that he'll go to two mornings each week. I was so nervous for today. I was afraid he'd freak out when I left him there. I was sure he wouldn't talk to anyone or socialize or play. I was afraid he'd fight other kids over trucks. I never imagined today would turn out the way it did. All that worry was for nothing and he loved his first day. He barely glanced back when I said goodbye. He played, he socialized, he read books, he was a big boy.

What I didn't ever consider was how this day could still go so wrong even if school went well.

Let me start at the beginning. I was so afraid that Eli would react badly to being dropped off today that when he woke up this morning asking for chocolate milk that we didn't have, I thought "uh oh, this is bad". He wouldn't drop it. He really wanted chocolate milk and he didn't want to go to school until he had some. I pictured a freak out at drop off because not only was I leaving but I wasn't leaving him with any chocolate milk. To understand how random this is, it's not like Eli drinks chocolate milk every day and we just happened to be out. This came from nowhere and he wouldn't let it go.

So, we got him ready for school, he ate breakfast, we went outside to take pictures, and then piled into the car. I realized when we got in the car that our clock inside was 10 minutes fast and we weren't just a bit ahead of schedule but WAY ahead of schedule.

When he brought up chocolate milk again, I figured fine, we'll go to barnes and noble to the cafe and get him a horizon chocolate milk box. What would a first day of school in a new shiny white polo shirt be? It really should have chocolate spilled on it before the day at school even starts.

I proceeded past where I'd turn for his school and went the mile or so up the road to get to barnes and noble. Right as I was about to turn into their parking lot, I hit something and immediately heard air gushing out of my tire, fast and loud.

Great.

I parked just so that I couldn't see what was wrong with the tire, there was still plenty of air in it, so I pulled out, said forget the chocolate milk and headed back toward his school just to get him there and find someone who could help me change it. I didn't make it very far. It started making a very bad noise and was loosing air really fast now. I pulled off the road not even a block up and drove through the back of a couple of parking lots to get to a gas station.

I parked, climbed out and found a wrench stuck straight into my tire. I was in disbelief.

I dug into my purse to call Jason at work to get his help and realized my cell phone, used as my alarm clock for this morning, was at home. I looked around and saw a police officer sitting next to the gas station with his window down. I walked over and asked for his help in changing my tire. He happily agreed and helped me with digging up all the tools we needed. Then he went to change it and asked for the lug nut key. Because my wheels had locks on them. And there was no key to be found.

*sigh*

I borrowed the nice police man's cell phone and I called mom, who gave me the car, to ask if she knew where it was. I only got emotional and felt like this was all a little too overwhelming for me to handle by myself once. She handed the phone to dad while she called toyota for me to ask them where it would be. It wasn't there.

While on the phone with dad, I look down and my hand is bleeding from slicing it on something while searching for the lug nut key in the deep dark recesses of the vehicle. I guess I was pumped up enough I had never felt the slicing.

Shortly thereafter, I opened another door to look somewhere else while still on the phone with dad and a big frog jumped onto part of the car and I tried to swat it away. It jumped straight onto me. I swatted again and it jumped down and went away. Dad wondered what the cop was doing giggling in the background. That's right. I set a 50 year old tough guy cop covered in tattoos into a fit of giggles.

The very nice officer called a tow truck. I wondered aloud what the heck we would do after the vehicle was taken away. I called a friend. She didn't answer. I knew no other numbers by heart and felt stranded. The kids complained they were thirsty. I took them inside and let them both choose a blue gatorade. They were hot and sweaty from sitting in the car. I got to the register only to realize that not only did I leave my cell phone at home, but I left my wallet there too. In another bag that I used last night when we went to the pool. Of course I did. Why would I have done anything to make this day easier on myself? I started to cry. A couple minutes later, the woman working at the gas station walked out with two blue gatorades in her hands and handed them to me and said she bought them for us. I cried again.

The tow truck arrived. The police officer drove us all over to Eli's school. He was 45 minutes late. He thought riding in a police car was pretty cool. I should've taken a picture. He got to class and happily took off to do a puzzle with his teacher. The police officer drove me and Drew back across town to where my car was and left us there. He told me stories about his kids. He made me laugh. He saved my day. I thanked him over and over again.

They replaced my tire, only after everyone went on and on about what a crazy freak weird thing to have happen, a wrench stuck in a tire. Drew played in the play area. I drank coffee and watched the Today show. Our mommy and Drewbie morning together wasn't what either of us had planned. When the car was ready, we went back home to get my cell phone and wallet. We still had to pay all the nice people who helped us and trusted us to come back with money. We went back and paid. It was time to get Eli. Drew said "this was not very fun mommy and Drewbie time." I felt bad.

Eli loved his first day of school. We talked it up a lot this past week. Drew talked to him about it being okay if he's nervous and doesn't make friends with everyone the first day. Eli said to her last night "I make lot friend" and when we were driving home from school today, he told us "I play my friends". Turns out I didn't have to worry about him socializing and making friends. And the wrench in our plans didn't ruin his first day. It just made it more memorable.

Happy first day, little buddy. This is one to remember.