Firsts

I have always loved rituals, and our preparation for Avi's first day of K at Tehiyah Day School was no exception.  Leeor took the kids backpack shopping over the weekend, and Avi chose an Angry Birds beauty while little sister ended up with a sparkly pink Dora backpack.   

He arranged his clothes on the drying rack the night before, including his Lego watch.  This is his current favorite ensemble, some version of "soccer shorts," a t-shirt, flip flops and his new cap.  Occasionally he gets cold enough to include a sweatshirt (either camp Kee Tov or Incredible Hulk). His sense of himself is truly his own, and I love watching it evolve.  He is almost as particular as his Aba.  

After we tucked him into bed last night, he made his way to our room  about 30 minutes later.  He didn't know why he couldn't sleep.  After crawling into our bed, he wondered about it some more.  I tried to introduce him to some relaxation exercises, but he cut me off with, "Mama, could you please stop talking?" He is his own guy, with his own ways of managing himself.  It wasn't long before he decided he was ready to return to his own bed.

After a specially requested breakfast of pancakes with chocolate chip happy faces (little did he realize we substituted the originals for carob chips), we were off.  And he was thrilled to find his classroom.

 And his name after he hung up his goods in his cubby.  He is the only "A" name in his class, so his cubby is first. One of his buddies from preschool, adorable Luli, has the cubby next to him.  Apparently, her mama confided to us at the picnic yesterday, she has decided they will marry one day.

Lilit meandered around the room and got acquainted with Motek, the class bunny.  She wanted it to be her first day of preschool today; alas, that's next week, what little there is of it due to the Jewish holidays starting and our trip to Disneyland. When we told her that one day she would join Avi at Tehiyah, her eyes lit up.

Avi seemed right at home and spotted friends he knew from preschool right away.  I watched some of the older kids pause briefly before the kindergarten classrooms on their way in to the school; it was sweet to see how they gazed into them with fondness before moving on, assured of the next steps.

 And the morning ritual did not disappoint; Modeh Ani, which literally means, "I give thanks," found the school children gathered around while everyone sang and the parents surrounded the kids along the edges.  I immediately teared up--I couldn't help it.  Avi stood on his blue line with his classmates while the older kids lined up behind him, the 8th graders looking a little bored by it all while the parents sipped coffee and chatted about summer.  I held our girl and pulled it together. Avi wanted Leeor to stand next to him and hold his hand.

 Usually, parents who stay for Modeh Ani say goodbye there and the kids head off to their classrooms.  The kindergarten parents were invited to walk their kids to their classroom and say goodbye at the door, but Avi informed us he was ready to part ways in the yard.  Leeor put a firm hand on my arm and said, "Let him go" under his breath.   So we did.