First Day of School or Last Day of Summer?

I was incredibly sad and lonely after taking my kids to their first day of school. I felt a wash of unexpected emotions rush over me. My plan was to jump off the roof into the pool to celebrate my forgotten freedom. But none of my plans came to be on Aug. 25.

I missed Avery and Aubree. Because of our move to Florida in April our family had an extended summer and although our four months together was at times a challenge, for the most part the ‘summertime blues’ were no where to be found.

I was crying, nervous for my nine and eleven-year-old babies. The house was quiet and still, until my cell phone rang…

“So much for the first day of school, more like the last day of summer,” said Avery as we pulled out of the school parking lot. His attitude after being bounced from the media center to the cafeteria to the office for three hours was remarkably pleasant, even comical. He was living up to the principal’s mantra: “I’m asking that everyone have patience and a sense of humor during the start up stages of our new school,” said Principal Ateek. He did a fine job of leading and calming the 1,500 students in the K-8 Fundamental School. Close to 1,000 sixth, seventh and eighth graders alone attend the school with two separate buildings, next door to one another, creating one enormous school!

My son had been incarcerated for an hour and 20 minutes before I ever got the call that he did not have all the necessary paperwork to attend class. You can imagine my dismay, shock and utter disgust with the situation. One reason for my frustration was because I had been emailing with school officials since June to be sure that my ‘new to the county and state’ kids were completely enrolled. Another reason was because my doctor in Derby assured me that the paperwork was all sent on July 21 to the school. The final reason was because I never got word one from anyone at the school that my kids were not registered and unable to attend class. This was ludicrous and new school or not, utterly ridiculous.

However, it was out of my hands. I did all I could but my son had to go home on the first day of school. Although this may come as much of a surprise to you as it did to me, he was heart broken and missed the chance to go to classes. I felt his anxiety and felt rather useless as a mom.

Because they did not catch the matter as quickly at the elementary side of the school, Aubree, my daughter was able to stay all day. She had a fine day, although she dearly missed her the quaintness of Derby Hills Elementary and all her longtime friends.

At the end of the school day Avery and I picked Aubree up and as we were walking to the van a TV cameraman was quick to ask, “So, how was your first day of school? What was your favorite part of the day?” Aubree had just been told that Avery hadn’t gone to more than five minutes of his first class and was processing the fairness of her life. She did not want to speak at all and Avery, well, he couldn’t. I politely spoke on their behalf and told the cameraman, “It’s been a long day and there really hasn’t been a best part of the day. Thanks for asking though.”

As we drove away and heard all about Aubree’s semi-good day I assured myself that I am not in control. As much as I think I am at times, only God is able to truly make plans and know for sure that those plans will come to fruition. And, the first day of school was another ‘not so gentle’ reminder of His power and my weakness.

To top off the awfulness of the day that evening we had to take our foster puppy to the emergency animal hospital because she was lethargic, dizzy and trembling. This all started after we came home from school. Come to find out that the medicine we had been instructed by the SPCA to give her to cure her of mites had an adverse effect on her body and was causing blindness and attacking her nervous system.

All is well now. Avery was able to attend the second day of school. As he rode on his bike later that night he was singing, “I love school.” WOW, I guess it was worth the hassle and maybe I should send him to the second day of school, in replace of the traditional first day, every year.

I sent a thoroughly extensive, detailed email to the chieftains at the school to make my frustration known. Although this was more than likely ineffectual, it made me feel better. No harm done, just one lousy day, a few mental notes and several more life lessons learned.

Lest I forget, “blind” Bella (as we affectionately call her) is a seeing-eye dog once again and acting like her playful puppy self. We are grateful to have her in our home for another week.

Word of the Week: Each week I add a word that I have come across in my reading for which I did not know the definition. After looking it up I try to use it in my future columns. Last week’s word was SPCA, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.”