Monday, August 27, 2007

Kindergarten Lesson #1: Life is Tough

Logan started all-day Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. Letting your first child enter the real world is tough stuff! I wasn't sure either of us was ready, but she's doing great, and I'm adjusting. Here she is, backpack and all, ready to begin her life as a scholar:



And here she is waving goodbye as she heads into class:



Wow! Tough moments for a mom. But I found out the tough moments just keep on coming. Like Friday for instance:

I pull up through the parent pickup after school, and the first thing I notice is that the teacher is approaching my car instead of the usual aid.

"I just wanted to let you know that Logan was punched in the stomach by a little boy in parent pickup this afternoon," she says.

I look at Logan who seems no worse for wear. "Okay..."

"I mean it hurt. She was in tears. And I talked to the boy and his parents. I mean he was just being silly, but like I told him, that is not right."

"Well, thank you. You okay, Lohgs? Yeah, those boys are like that sometimes."

I was going for the breezy, take-all-tragedies-in-stride kind of mom. I didn't want to seem nutty to either Logan or her teacher, but I have to admit I have thought about it at least 48 times since. My cute little baby in her sequined jeans and cowboy boots (Yes, she chooses her own clothes, and she does have a fashion sense) innocently waiting for me to pick her up, and she gets sucker-punched in the gut?!

As for the boy, all I can picture is the bully from my own grade school days. The angriest kid I ever knew: Warren Hunt. He and I traded punches on a regular basis until the fourth grade. Everyone in our class traded punches with Warren. The memory is not a comforting thought.

"Logan, who is this boy?" rat-faced, punk I add in my own head.

"I don't know."

"You've never seen him before?" Like maybe holding up a liquor store? I can't seem to stop the running commentary in my head.

"He's in my class; I just don't know his name."

"Did you do anything to him?" After all, I wouldn't put it passed her.

"No. I was just standing there. Then he said, 'You want a piece of me?'"

"What?" He is quoting DeNiro? "He actually said, 'You want a piece of me?'" That made me laugh.

"Yup, and then he punched me in the stomach."

"Well, okay...I wouldn't hang out with that kid much."

I realize she's tough enough for these tough moments, but I'm not sure about me. Letting go just ain't easy.

6 comments:

Lauren said...

I feel your pain...last week when I asked my son who he had played with that day, he said "Soandso, but then she (yes..it was a girl) started throwing rocks and sticks in my face, so I had to cry". How sad!! Breaks your heart when you can't be there to protect them all the time. Guess it helps to toughen them up tho, huh?

Rochelleht said...

Ok, that is really funny. Super sad, but funny. I mean, "You want a piece of me??" What is THAT??

Melissa said...

You want Jeff to show her some defensive tactic moves?

Amber said...

WHAT!?!?!? You better give her more than, "don't play with him." Are you crazy, that girl best get some words she is allowed to use. What boy asks a girl if she wants a piece of him??? Seriously, those are the times when it takes everything for me to not hunt the kid down.

Madame Queen said...

Oh my gosh! How did you keep from jumping from the car and snatching that kid baldheaded (as my mother used to say)? These types of things ARE tough. It always breaks my heart when Bubba's heart is broken but I've yet to come across actual physical violence.

I'm sure that kid heard that classic DeNiro line in a cartoon. The other day Bubba was doing his pretend karate and said "You got a brain in that head?" I had to stifle a laugh and make sure he knew that was NOT appropriate to say to someone.

Kate said...

It sounds like she is tough girl (like mother like daughter) I agree that you need to teach her some defense tactics.... She is a cutie... he must have a crush on her...