Today Josh had his orientation at a new school. We were running late and I was driving, so I threw he and Mike out of the car outside the front gate and went off to find a park. No ceremony, no heartfelt farewell for his four hours away in a new environment.
If he wished I'd been a little bit more formal in my goodbye rather than shouting 'Get out, we're in a no standing zone!' he didn't let on.
Mike said as soon as they walked into the assembly area, he was swooped upon by a year three teacher who took Josh away. He didn't hesitate, just went with her, not a backward glance.
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| First day of pre-school. |
He's not always been this together, he's had his fair share of wobbly moments, but as he gets older he's getting better. At cricket practice, he just jumps out of the car and runs off to his mates. Not even a backward glance.
Now he even goes on sleepovers.
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| First day of school in 2011. Look! No scaffolding. |
Next year on the 28th of January, he starts. That's 3 months. After I picked him up he was pretty quiet. Then on the way home in the car he told me that he didn't want to go there, but he knew he had to, so he would.
Talk about your heartbreaker. But I agreed with him. Right then and there I wanted to go and hide my head back in our local primary with his sisters.
He asked if we could go to a cafe and have lunch together. While we ate, I told him he'd make new friends and we'd keep in touch with his old ones. I told him it was ok to feel sad, and excited, and scared all at once.
He was so stoic about it. On that first day, he will walk away, just as he did this morning, because that's the kind of guy he is. And as he moves through that school, he's going need us less and less.
And doesn't that just bring a tear to my eye.
