Wednesday, September 2, 2009

First Day of Kindergarten

Today is the First day of school and that means the first day of kindergarten for my 5 year old. I walked both kids down to the bus stop. I took a few pictures. I came home and had some coffee, checked some emails and stared my cleaning. First on my list of chores was to go through the pile of school papers that had been sitting in the drawer all summer. Yes, that would be the pile of papers from last school year. And while I'm not admitting to anything here, it may or may not have included a few papers from my second graders preschool days. Ahem... Anyway, first let me just offer an explanation or excuse for why I put this off for so long. (Those of you with school age probably use this same excuse.) You can't go through these papers with kids in the house. They want to keep everything. You can't throw away any of the 10 pages where they practiced writing the number one. Each paper is very important to them. Or the 26 pages or leaf rubbings. So you keep them in a drawer until the kids are gone and then you pick a select few to keep and toss the remaining 2.5 billion into the recycling bin.

While I'm sorting through the papers from last year (like I said, I'm not admitting to having papers from 3 years ago) the phone rings. It's my friend who also has a child starting kindergarten today. She calls to tell me that she forgot to send her child to school with the tag that has her bus information on it. You know, the tag that the school printed up, laminated, sent home a week ago and requested that kindergartners where it to school every day for the first two weeks. How cold she forget?!

I look down on the counter. There is my child's tag too. Oops. I guess I'll be stopping by the school to drop it off. After I finish sorting through the rest of the school papers.

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13 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

That's not an excuse, that's the honest to God truth. And, you've reminded me that I need to go through that same stack of papers!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh Cookie, I remember those days---many years ago.. Were you kinda sad today---after watching them leave??? I used to be!

I posted photos of my three sons (through the years) today on my blog. Check it out...

Hugs,
Betsy

betty said...

oh how exciting with your little one starting kindergarten! I bet you can't wait to see how his day went! hoping he and his older brother have a great school year!

love the idea about the bus tag; sure does help keep those little ones on the right bus; sorry you need to drop his off though

its amazing over the years as you sort through paper how it becomes less important of what to keep and what not to keep; I think we have a fe things over the years still from the kids' school years (they are 20/23), but with all the moves we've made, I had to let go of a lot. Funny thing is, so far, they haven't asked for anything; I did save report cards, class pictures, things like that. You think you will remember the names of their friends.....you might want to write down the names on pictures....

betty

Lynn said...

Oh those years go by so fast - enjoy them.

Madge said...

i'm ruthless with those papers all school year -- when they are not looking....

TALON said...

My kids are grown up and I STILL have school papers I need to sort through...only now they're no longer in a drawer. Now they reside in an airtight bin in the garage. One day....

mommytoalot said...

LOL..
love this post..
I totally understand..I have 5 of my 6 heading to school on Tuesday, so thanks for the reminder ..i willnotforgetd'sbuspass
..
thanks for stopping by my blog
Lisa

Unknown said...

Ah, I'm always drowning in paperwork -- at home and at school (work).

Awe, the first day at kindergarten. Seems like a hundred years ago when my seventeen year old went.

They grow up so fast.
Thanks for the sweet post.
Smiles,
Sue

Heidi said...

Last year my oldest started Kindergarten. Now, we're on to grade 1. But, that's not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was, I KNOW! about all of those papers they want to keep and to all of the papers you have to get through. It's crazy, right?? The amount of stuff they come home with? But, now that school starts for them next Tuesday we have nothing. No notice, no information about the first day or where they should go. Nothing. But, you can bet that when she comes home after that first day she will be loaded down with paper after paper to sign and read and stack with last year's papers.

Jo said...

I still have papers dating back an unmentionable number of years! It seems that paperwork is truly the work that never ends! I am so enjoying reading your blog...I am so glad that we have "met!"

Momisodes said...

I can certainly understand why you waited until you had the house to yourself to sift through those papers. I need to do the same thing once my daughter starts preschool.

Michelle said...

Oooo! I have a system for this (of course it failed miserably this year because I didn't do it until the week school started but ummm it's worked in the past).

Anyway.

The wee ones each get to keep five items at a time. These items are taped to cabinets (or otherwise prominently placed). When they have a new favorite, they have to choose one to take down and get rid of. Of course Mommy sometimes exerts some influence when there is something super cute it a handprint or an actual picture of the child on it.... But so far, so good!

Anonymous said...

Yup. I do everything here at the house I nanny at and just last night I got around to sorting through their LAST YEAR'S school papers.....