Back to School for Mommy

First day drop off

You might call it a drive by... Mommy pulled up to the daycare and put the car in park with such sudden force that it rocked on its wheels and the headlight beams shook in the grass, evidence of running just behind target times for the first day of school. She gingerly pulled Chub Chub from his car seat, slung the daycare diaper bag over her shoulder and partially closed her driver's side door (because it sometimes locks on its own and leaves her outside shivering with a $75 locksmith bill looming over her head). Ringing the doorbell of the daycare, she waited impatiently, shuffling the weight back and forth on each of her feet and trying not to think about leaving her still-too-young baby boy with strangers. The director happily greets her at the door and welcomes her into the facility. Mommy casually hands over her precious cargo, says she can't take off her boots to go into the baby room (which requires bare feet), and signs in Chub Chub. She says goodbye just as quickly and turns on her heels to jet out the door and away from her first born son. There was no time for tears, or for watching her little sleeping one settle into his crib. Instead, Mommy raced back to her car, fastened her seatbelt and fussed to herself about the quickly elapsing time she saw on the dashboard clock.

First day pick up

Leaving amidst the flurry of students heading to their 7th period classes, Mommy jumped into the car and let her senses work their auto-pilot magic to the daycare. She pushed the doorbell and waited impatiently, shuffling the weight back and forth on each of her feet, for someone to let her inside. Flashes of a pink (eww) blanket being removed from a tiny, tiny baby with soft brown-black curls sent heart ache through her. Instinctively she reached for the little boy, but was told he needed changing, as he'd been asleep for a little while. Thwarted from the reunion, Mommy "talked" with the other babies who were awake and alert in their bouncy chairs or in swings. Then, finally, she was given possession of her Chub Chub, whom she immediately smothered with kisses. It warmed her heart to see that the still-sleeping infant had formed his precious mouth into a smile and nestled close to his Mommy's bosom with contentment. He did recognize her - without looking, he had heard her voice and smelled her smell and knew that Mommy had come to rescue him from his day in the foreign room with all the unfamiliar babies and women with plastic bottles.