Sounds like a # for a Cal Rip games played streak. Not exactly, he played 2632 games in a row. By the way, Cal’s birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday Cal! Today was Jaxon’s first day of Kindergarten! And at 180 school days in a year, for the next 13 years, he has officially begun his 2340 days of school. That’s a lot of days. Subtract a few of those days for when we take off to go see baseball’s opening day. I had been envisioning this day for a while. I knew it would be an emotional day. I imagined us getting up early (anything before 9am is early for me) and having some breakfast, talking, laughing and being excited about Jaxon’s first day, getting dressed in his new clothes, meeting his new teacher, looking handsome in his school uniform, taking some pictures, and all the fun stuff.

But it didn’t quite go like I had envisioned. I knew we were off track when Beth woke both me and Jaxon up at 7:35, about 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave the house. School starts at 8:00. I rushed through brushing my teeth and getting dressed. But by they time I got my shoes on, we were already late. I heard screaming and crying coming from the other room. And Jaxon wasn’t in such a great mood either. Jaxon did not want mommy to “fix his hair”. He has a crew cut. Then comes the shoes. Shoes are always a source of stress. If Jaxon had his ways, he’d never wear anything on his feet. We had just bought him 2 brand new pair of shoes for school. The pair that mommy gave him was not the right pair, of course. He said they were too big. The screaming starts up again, something about mommy doesn’t know where his other shoes are. Then she finds one shoe, but can’t find the other. More crying (I won’t say which one). I tell Jaxon his other shoe is in his closet, so he goes and finds it. Impending crisis solved. Next crisis: WHERE’S THE CAMERA??? On the table. Camera found, current impending crisis solved… but not so fast. Mommy says, “IT’S BROKEN!” I try to help and ask her to give it to me, but I guess she had her own plan and began to frantically open and close the battery compartment about 6 times. Seems to work. Go figure. Current crisis solved. At this time, we are officially late.

As if we needed anything else to worry about this morning, we had to take about 8 orders of school uniforms up to the school to give to parents. I had told Beth the night before that I would handle that so she didn’t have to worry about it. I put all the orders together the night before… except the one that Beth had told me about the day before, but was not written down on an order. She asks if I had that one. I said, “no, I only have the written orders.” More crying. I assured her that I would get her order on the way out, and I put Gramm (our 6 month) in the car. Then comes crisis # next (I’ve lost count at this point).

Mommy cries, “I CAN’T FIND MY KEYS! Does anybody know where my keys are???” Nobody does. I started to say the same thing she always tells me, “I don’t know, I didn’t wear them last.” But my spidey-sense told me that this was not the appropriate time. I’m sensitive that way. I take the key to her van off my key chain and let her have mine. Crisis # next resolved. We are still late.

Mommy got a picture of Jaxon (who has stopped crying just long enough to smile for the picture) standing in front of the car. I was taking my own car so I could leave for work after we dropped him off. I asked Beth to please not lock the van when they got to school because the uniforms were in there and I needed to take them into the school when we got there. She said ok. I grabbed the last uniform order as they loaded up and backed out of the driveway. I drove a little faster than usual trying to catch up to them so I could also go with my little boy into school. I almost caught them just as they were pulling into the parking lot, but could not park right next to them. So I parked a little ways away and headed towards the van. At that point, I hear very loud scream crying… one of those cries that sounds like a kid has been harpooned by a … well harpoon I guess (not sure what else one could get harpooned by). But as a parent, I can also tell that it’s one of those cries that has a little added drama to it, as if it’s more frustration than real pain. I think to myself, “Well, It sounds like somebody else is not having a great morning either.” Then as I get closer, the cry begins to sound more familiar, and I realize that all the noise is coming from Jaxon, as they are walking away from the van. I holler across the parking lot, “What’s wrong with him?” I couldn’t really make out Beth’s response, as they continued toward the front door of the school. I really wanted to make that walk with him to school, and comfort him and cheer him up. But I still had to get the uniforms out of the van. So I went to open the rear door and… locked. I had given Beth my key to the van, so I couldn’t get in. So I hollered to them, “It’s Locked!!” Beth turns and throws the key across the school yard towards me. It’s headed right for the front hood of the van, but somehow I was able to lunge with my arm outstretched and catch it just before it put nice a chip in the paint, as if there aren’t enough paint chips already. So as my little boy walked into school for his 1st day, I’m trying to get a box of uniforms out the van. I hurry as fast as I can and try to catch up with them, but it’s no use. I’m trying to carry a big box down a crowded school hallway on the 1st day of school. I’m not catching up to anybody. As I finally make it to the end of the hall where his room is, I get to the door where I can see in. All the other kids are setting at the table while the teacher is talking to them. Beth and Jaxon are standing behind them while Jaxon is just balling. I’m sure it’s very intimidating to have to walk into a new classroom, as the last kid showing up. I take a step thinking I can help calm him down, and Beth motions to me to go, leave. So I do, and wait in the hall. A minute later Beth comes out because they are lining up to go to morning chapel. And as all the kids walk out to head for chapel, Jaxon is at the back of the line, and they turn the other direction so he doesn’t see me. He seemed to have stopped crying, at least I couldn’t hear him anymore. And I just watched him walk away. I didn’t even get to give him a hug on his 1st day of school.

But I must look at the bright side. 1 down. 2339 more to go.