小天使
孩子是父母眼中的天使。
by 冰溪
First Day at School
Today (8/30/06) is Olivia's first day at school as a first grader.
This morning, she got up right after the alarm in her room went off without any delay. She was on top of everything from brushing her teeth to finishing her breakfast without us nagging her at all. Twenty five minutes before the bus came, she had her shoes on and the backpack on her shoulders and kept on telling her daddy: "Let's go dad, I don't want to be late for the school bus!"
However, I could tell that she was a little nervous.
"Are you excited to go to school today, Olivia?" I asked her. "You are going to meet so many new friends, how exciting is that?"
"Ye-ah." She answered with a little bit hesitation. "Huh, I am a little bit worried as I don't know what's going to happen today," she told me.
"Don’t worry, honey. I've told you once the school bus gets to school, there will be teachers at the bus stop to meet you and take you to where you are supposed to be." I assured her.
Knowing she couldn't wait any longer, we went to the bus stop and she was the first one there. We took some pictures of her, and then gradually the kids from the neighborhood came one by one. Those who were with parents holding camera or camcorders were apparently either the new 1st graders or kindergarteners.
Finally, the bus came. Each of us gave Olivia a hug and kiss including Evan. We wished her a great first day at school. As she went on the bus (picture 1), I was a little emotional. My little girl had grown up and today she will start another journey of her life-school.
Evan had told me that he would go on the school bus with Olivia since this morning. He has been going to daycare with Olivia every morning since he was eight months old and is used to be her buddy doing everything. Not until Olivia got on that bus and we held his hand telling him he was too young to go with her did he realize that he wasn't going with Olivia this time. He bent his head down looking very upset (picture 2).
On the way to daycare, it suddenly hit me that Olivia just changed her class a week ago. Does her teacher know that she is allergic to peanuts? What if today someone sits next to her is eating peanut butter sandwich? With everything going on the first day, will she remember that she is supposed to go to the after school program and not to take the bus home? What if she forgets and follows others on the bus and nobody will be at the bus stop to pick her up? I started to get really worried.
I called the school right after I got to work and after talking to the nurse and her teacher knowing that they are aware of her allergy and they will make sure the kids go to the right place after school is over, I finally put my heart into my chest.
The first school day passed just like any other day. On the way to pick up Olivia from school, I was wondering how her day went. Would she be happy or be crying when she saw me?
I pulled the gym (where the after school program is) door open, Olivia saw me and immediately ran into my embrace with a big smile "Mommy! Mommy!"
Although I tried, she was still the last one to be picked up (what a surprise), so I said: "Honey, I am sorry you are the last one here."
"It's okay, mom. I don't mind at all." She forgave me just like she did in daycare.
"So, how was the first day at school?" I asked enthusiastically.
"Very good! I like my teacher a lot. I like my new friends too. And oh, the teacher had shown us how to order the food in the cafeteria. I already remembered my four numbers. You just put your numbers into the machine and hit enter to pay and then you can have your lunch. It's easy. Oh, mom, I have a lot to tell you about my day today, so I will tell you half and daddy half. But first I want to show you my classroom."
Listening to her non-stop talking, I felt so happy. I was so glad to see that her first day went well and she was excited and happy about her school.
We had some trouble with the afterschool program with the second school though. Because there weren't enough openings for the whole week. Anyway, we managed to get that settled by sending him to a different afterschool program two days a week when his own school's afterschool program could not take him. Our son didn't like the outside afterschool too much since he was mixed with some pre-schoolers. But it's over now and he is going to the afterschool program in his own school everyday (thank God!).
現在他們在上海，學習壓力好大：每天7：30am－5pm 在學校坐得規規矩矩，回家還有做不完的作業，女兒抱怨說每天的日子好漫長，一天就象一年，聽得我辛酸S了。兒子是first grader，每天要求的識字量很大，還必須完成課外讀物。現在最怕的就是他們產生厭學情緒！唉，填鴨式的應試教育何時了？
It must be tougher for you a year ago when your son started Kindergarten in school. Now he must be 如魚得水, great!
asalways: 那還不趕緊生一個?!:)
看著你的文字，好像一起見證了孩子的成長，想起早先看的那個畢業典禮的照片，有孩子真好，經常有點兒新鮮事兒，一天天的，孩子就大了！
Today is the first school day for my son -- he is also a 1st grader! Yay!!! Since he attended the kindergartens at the same schools last year. There won't be too many new things for him (and we went through most of the excitements and worries last year). He will have some of his old friends from the kindergarten in his class (mostly boys!).