First day of school is done.  Not only was it Benjamin’s first day in kindergarten, but Matthew also moved up to the next classroom today.  Overall, it went really well.

Benjamin was very excited before school.  He seemed genuinely happy.  He has never been one to eat sandwiches.  He always turned his nose up to them.  However, we want him to bring lunch (his daycare had served hot lunches) most of the time to his new school.  Since sandwiches are the easiest thing to send him off with, we spent a week trying to convince him he would like them.  So, yesterday, I took him to the store and let him pick out the bread and the lunch meat.  This morning, he was so excited as we packed lunch for him and that was most of his focus.

Andrea went out to Target last night to get a folder for his papers from school.  She was a champ in picking through the scraps of what was left and managed to find the last Toy Story folder in the valley.  Benjamin was very excited to see it this morning.

Benjamin’s best friend since they were babies is also going to the catholic school with him, so we met her and her mommy before school for pictures.  They were so cute together in their little uniforms, checking out each others back packs.

Andrea was a bit of a mess.  She was in shock as she saw her little boy getting ready for school.

Matthew cried after we dropped off Ben.  Clearly, he was really upset about being separated from his big brother.  He kept wandering off and standing by himself, staring at the ground as we were taking pictures.  He didn’t want to take pictures with us.  It is sad that there is all this turmoil in their lives right now.  These changes are on top of a move coming soon.  I know they will bounce back, but I can’t help but notice the nervousness in their faces with each change.  Andrea and I keep trying to figure things out to make sure they don’t feel it too much.

I took them to dinner after school…I let Matthew pick the restaurant.  Ben doesn’t have school on Friday and I have off as well.  He has been asking to go fishing for flounder for months, so I am going to try to find some place on the Jersey shore to take him fishing (if anyone has any ideas of a place that we can fish from a dock, let me know).  Hopefully, little things like that will help them adjust.

Below are some miscellaneous quotes and stuff from the day.

A couple of weeks ago, when we were shopping for school stuff, Benjamin saw a bunch of desk lamps, and after noticing one that looked like the Pixar lamp, he said, “Papa, I need a lamp for doing my paperwork.”

Benjamin, after school today: “Mommy was right,” with a sad face, “kindergarten is more learning than playing.”

Me: “Benjamin, what did you learn today.”
Benjamin: “Papa, if I told you, I wouldn’t know it anymore.”

“I learned about the cross…you know, that big giant ‘T’.”

“Papa, can Matthew go to my school when he’s old enough so that he can feel special, also?”

I picked up Benjamin and then we went to pick up Matthew.  One of his friends from his old classroom came over and said hi.  Then she gave him a big hug.  She missed him.

Benjamin: “Papa, who is the smartest person in our family?”
Me: “Probably mommy…she has gone to school the longest and got the best grades.”
Benjamin: “She is smarter than me?”
Me: “Yes.  You might be smarter when you grow up.”
Benjamin: “I’m going to miss you and mommy when I grow up.  But, I will come and visit.  I hope you remember me.  I might grow a goatee or a beard and I’ll have to say, ‘I’m your son, Ben’.  Okay?”

Cute.