Double Century and School

Wow! According to my Dashboard, I have written 200 posts! How prolific am I?
(Of course a few of them are half-drafted and still lying somewhere as drafts...but 200, baby! Woohoo!)
**************************************************************
Well, today was the first day of Big School. While it went great for the EO and the Nephew, I didn't do so well.

Let me record from the beginning...

Seeing my baby in uniform, white shirt, long white socks, black shoes and dark grey shorts brought a tear to my eye. He stood there looking so handsome, so big, so, so, so not a little boy anymore. But then I saw the mischievous twinkles in his eyes and that heart-stoppingly innocent smile and the world that had suddenly tilted off balance, seemed all right again.

The Nephew and he were just so excited to be going to school together. For them, that was the highlight. It was as if they could weather whatever storm would make its way towards them...bring on the pressure, bring on the homework, bring on the bullies, they were together, nothing else mattered a bit. That's how much they were looking forward to going to the same school. May your love for each other just grow from strength to strength, my boys, my loves, my precious sweethearts.

Now while these two little boys seemed to be thrilled to bits, there were two sets of parents who were progressively getting more and more hyper by the second, "Where are you?", "Arre let's go?", "Where are the boys?", "Arre toraa jaabi ki jaabi naa?!?", "Chol NAAAAA!!!!" and the like.

At the gates, we were stopped and told that only one parent was allowed inside. The MIM and BIL-ly Boy were exasperated and we told them they could carry on to their respective workplaces if they so wished. Hah! Not a chance. They were happy waiting outside in the hot sun, thank you very much.

We were told to get look at the lists on the notice board regarding the boys' classes and registration numbers. We already knew those, but needed the roll numbers. When I managed to jostle my way through the hoards of parents, what should I see, but a parent grab the EO's class list and march away. I ran after her asking for a look.

Now, I am the most non-confrontational person alive. Only when I'm really, really, REALLY tense or livid do I make my presence felt. Now this woman was talking really rudely and said she had to take the list up to the office. I asked her to just show me the list once. She said, rather loudly, "NO!" and started to march away. Now, I don't know what came over me, but I caught her by the arm and said she couldn't do this. Then she said, "I work in the office. You can't tell me what I can do or can't do!"

Ever had those moments when you wish the ground would split wide open and swallow you whole. Yes, well. Definitely not one of my favourite moments. I'm cringing as I type this and I just wish I could rewind the clock and take it back. Where were the lightning bolts when you needed them?

I meekly went to join the throngs of parents. Found the EO's class line and deposited him there. Gorgeous little boys, each a vision of innocence and even fear, dressed the same, the only splashes of colour the myriad school bags on their backs, almost each of them advertising the wearer's favourite cartoon character.

After the boys were trooped off to class, the Junior School Prefect gave us parents a short little speech, told us the rules and some other important school stuff. After that was over, we were asked to wait. After all, today 'class' was only till 10 a.m.

The SIL and I went in search of our respective husbands. They were chatting with some other dads in front of the Cafe Coffee Day nearby. There were some moms there already. We started chatting with each other and the hour passed by really quickly. I was still in a haze over my gigantic faux-pas and was still wishing I was dead.

When we were allowed back in to pick up our boys, I first went to the Junior School office to apologise. She made me sweat a little (didn't need to try very hard, I'll admit), but ultimately accepted my apology.

I went to the EO's class and his teacher called out his name. I saw my little brat sitting in the last bench stuffing his face with the cupcake that i had packed for him, just in case. Seeing me, he crammed his already over-full mouth with whatever was left in his hand. I could see the crumbs being sprayed all over his desk and I could see him getting flustered with his own little mess. In the meanwhile, the MIM joined me, took one look at his little pig and nearly went into hysterics. We tried to sign to him not to hurry and that it was okay, we were waiting. He took out his napkin and started dusting his desk. Once satisfied with the level of cleanliness he had achieved, he put everything away and came to us, all smiles.

The car ride back, it was just the MIM, EO, the Nephew and me. The boys were highly excitable and kept tickling me from the back-seat. 'Tickling-tickling' is the Nephew's favourite game. I soon acknowledged defeat and asked them to chat with each other, which they did, laughingly and loudly.

In the afternoon, while I was putting the correct textbooks and notebooks into his schoolbag, I explained what was what. I nearly lost my balance when he stared using words like 'cool' and 'super' to describe his new texts! Well, we'll just wait and see just how 'cool' and 'super' the workload is going to be. My poor dear you. You have no idea what we've had to get you into.

The EO and the Nephew happily spent the afternoon, chatting away happily. I couldn't help but ask my son, "EO, don't you miss your old school? Your old friends? A little?"

The EO reassured me quickly and succinctly, "Yes!"

I decided not to ask him how much. After all, I missed it loads.