Skip the Ice Cream - Just Tell Me Who Her Teacher Is!

My emotions got the better of me this afternoon. As I looked at the calendar, I realized that exactly one month from today, Allie starts 1st Grade. And that has managed to ignite a whole slew of minor anxiety-ridden questions and thoughts, and not the least of it is our school's ice-cream social.

On August 8th, Allie's school has their Ice-Cream social where all the kids and parents pretend to be excited to see everyone and eat ice-cream from 3-4pm, when the reality is that everyone is on pins and needles. . .waiting. Waiting until 4pm when they open the cafeteria doors to the hallway and 400 parents and 800 children are herded through one double door to clamor on top of each other to get a view of their class list.

Does my child have the teacher I want for him? How about if not the one I want, is he with the one he wants? Are my kids' friends all together in class? Do I have another mommy friend in class with me?

Yes, we wait all summer for the Friday before school to learn who our child's teacher is and who is in class with them. Then after you find out, you are either giddy with delight that all turned out the way you hoped - or you are inwardly seething while trying to make nice with all of your child's friends and secretly hoping that by osmosis you will be able to get your child's class changed between 4pm on Friday and 9am on Monday (perhaps this is a reason they wait until this day to let us know! - not enough time for parents to raise a stink!).

I started thinking, it was not even 2 months ago that we said goodbye to Allie's spectacular Kindergarten year - that last day filed with so many bittersweet feelings, not the least of which was saying goodbye and thank you to her most fabulous Kindergarten teacher as well as room full of wonderful moms and adorable classmates. And then something went off in my head like a lightening bolt! I'm not ready for first grade. . .

Yes, you read it correctly, I said I'm not ready for first grade. I didn't mention Allie because I'm sure she'll do fine. I'm the one that I'm worried about. .

One month from today is the first day of First Grade (August 11th - mark your calendars - you know there will be lots o' blogging on that day!) and I'll be honest, I'm not ready.

I'm not ready for the casual days of summer to end - where other than gymnastics and summer camp we have no pressures and concerns other than to enjoy ourselves and frolic the time away in the pool and with family and friends.

I'm not ready to start the fighting and arguing that goes along with bedtime and getting ready for school time.

I'm not ready to explain to her why she can't wear halter tops and flip flops at school even though its 110 degrees outside.

I'm not ready for our school's ice-cream social on August 8th to learn who her teacher is and who is in her class - what if its not THE teacher we (and 100 other students) want? What if she is not with the friends she wants to be with - or maybe even more importantly (I mean, let's be honest here. . .), what if I'm not with the same moms I want to be with?

I'm not ready to drop her off on the "big girl" playground - with 600 other kids - a far cry from the enclosed Kindergarten playground that seemed so safe and secure to me.

I'm not ready to have "real" homework. I'm not ready to have arguments about doing homework.

So, I'm not going to think about school starting - I'm going to put those thoughts tightly away in a neat little box that I'll put away in my underwear drawer until August 8th (ok, let's be real, I'll be a mess on August 7th. . .) and enjoy the rest of the summer with my family and friends where the biggest worry is whether or not we put on the sunscreen.

But, one last thought - don't you agree with me - nix the ice-cream and just get to the point. . .no sense making nice and torturing us for an hour . . .