Back to School

The mesh shorts have been put away and the purple, plastic pool is in the garage for another sunny day. School has started, and the Drlich family is currently going through the painful process of the end of summer. It is even hard for me, and I worked the entire summer. Jake and Abe both were whipped into shape with early wake up calls, and no daily trips to the park. It’s back to the grind.

Abe’s first day of school went pretty well. He, of course, was fine until I stood up to leave. However, they said he cried only for a little while after I left, and then he played with the kids. When Jake came to pick him up he was crying. His teacher said it was because they didn’t want him to take his blankey outside to play, because it would get dirty. As soon as Jake reached down and scooped up Abe, he looked at his teacher and said, “Daddy clean it.” As if to say, “Yo beeetches, my Daddy will clean this mutha, so why don’t you let me take it outside.”

At dinner that night, Jake and I pressed Abe on the events of the day.
“So, what did you do at school?” I asked, as if he was seven. He sat and looked at me for awhile, and then said, “YOGURT!”
Jake started in, “Abe, what happened to your head?”
“Abe run tree!” He exclaimed.
We were actually having a conversation with our son about his day.

This morning I woke Abe, brought him downstairs, and gave him some breakfast. He was in full-fledged Wiggles mode, bopping along to the music, munching on some Cheerios.
“Abe, we have to go to school now.”
“No school.” He said it very nonchalantly as if it was as simple as that. Isn’t he too young to not want to go to school, I thought. Despite his valiant effort to dissuade me, I soldiered on and strapped him into the car.
“Daddy pick me up,” he said.

Oh, sweet God, my heart just broke in two. It was as if he was convincing me, himself, maybe even God, that his Daddy will come and pick him up. I assured him that Daddy will pick him up. But, I also tried to explain that not for awhile. He has a whole day of fun ahead of him! With his friends! And his teachers! And maybe they will even have nuggies for lunch! And tonight, Mommy will make you fish sticks!

I tried very hard to convince myself that it would be okay.