Martine Mollica Madden
September 1998
Who of us doesn't remember having to send our children off to the World?
I survived the first day of kindergarten (I learned the other day there is a "t" in kindergarten - see we are never too old to learn new tricks.) My mother decided I might need a pick me up so she invited me out to lunch that day. I thought maybe she would need a pick me up. After all it wasn't her first child going to kindergarten, but her first grand child. We went to Joe Kelly's and got salads!!! Kind of boring for a pick me up lunch, but very tasty. Anyway, she loved her first day at kindergarten, and her second, and her third, and her fourth. Her teacher told me she has been so excited for so long about starting school, she hopes the other kids pick up on it. I'm already the proud parent. Miss Denise thinks she going to be the leader of the group.... That's my girl!!!
She was the teacher's helper the second day of school. I'm not sure what that is exactly (She's inherited her ability to talk from my father - and not the imposter you saw on Sunday!) She gets to "help the teacher" I asked her what that means exactly, what she gets to do. I get to "help the teacher", she tells me. Do you get to help get snack ready? Now she's getting aggravated with me. "I GET TO HELP THE TEACHER!" Ok, I guess it's time to move on, I'll ask Miss Denise what the teacher's helper gets to do.
She looked beautiful and even with Ricky's poem, I didn't even cry. I did get a few pictures. Ok so more than a few, but she is my first!!! Christopher had to get into the act, because whatever Nicole does Christopher does. Nicole got her picture taken in her new clothes, so did Christopher. Nicole got to carry her lunch to school, so did Christopher. We took a picture of Nicole with her lunch and packback at school and we took a picture of Christopher at school with his lunch. (No backpack, he hasn't started school yet!) But he did turn around and we got a picture of his back with no packback. (I made sure there were no other kids around so as not to embarrass her. I don't want to scar her for life, Well not yet anyway!)
The week went well. She loved every day. But Friday was the breaking point. In her cubby next to her stuff were her papers. They were "graded". She got lots of stickers and good comments like, "Nice tracing", "she understood the concepts", and my personal favorite was "she always pays attention in class." I could feel my eyes start to well up, but I wasn't going cry because she got her papers back. I hit me then that she's really in school and my first born wasn't a baby any more.
Next time I'll tell you about her lost tooth!!! Betcha can hardly wait!!!
Tine & Nicole