schuyler's first day of school

She was happy. More than happy. She seemed to really love it. We were hit with the one-two punch of First Day At Somersfield AND First Day Without Lucy. It was such a strange and slightly lonely feeling getting up that morning and knowing Lucy wouldn't be walking in the through the door, greeted by barks from Magic and squeals of joy from Schuyler. It was like we had suddenly become grown ups. Sharing Lucy with the Hocking gang made the child rearing experience feel kind of like a group effort - like we were all in the same class and this was our Group Project. Our days outside of work we spent bumping into Lucy or one of the Hockings and all the kids. We will still see the Hockings, of course, and Trystan and Schuyler will be in the same group for the after school cottage, and we will make sure we still see Lucy both as a friend and frequent babysitter, but it will never be the same. The big sacrifices we made to be able to have Lucy were definitely worth it and we wish desperately we could do the same for Charlie. Lucy was such a big help and so invested in Schuyler and Trystan's education and emotional growth and when she left there was a big Lucy-shaped hole in our lives. Now, there is no-one who will actually want to hear the banal minutiae of our little cub's life every day. And she essentially became one of the family so it feels like Schuyler's aunt has gone AWOL or something.

And, so there we were. Parked in the chaos of the Somersfield parking lot clogged with parents ferrying their little beings into the new surroundings, wearing faces of forced enthusiasm to mask the latent worry and fear we all felt on some level underneath.

Her teacher took her to put her bag away and we watched as our little girl started school. From now on, she will be in school. She's going to have thousands of experiences all day about which we know nothing but what is garbled in translation through her growing brain. Getting information from her about her day is like interviewing the corner drunk as a witness to a car accident.

Again, no fear needed. She had a great day (with the exception of either losing her Doudou or somehow not having it for her nap - not sure exactly what happens because Schuyler is not exactly a reliable witness). She came home filled with stories about "painting her hands" and "the green girl... the girl in the big green shirt". Welcome, to the Schoolhouse, Schuyler!