First Day of Daycare

Ahhhhh, they grow up so fast. It was just a year ago that I met Alberto for the first time and spent 10 days in Guatemala. My dad was a trooper and came along for moral support. He was bored out of his mind. I,on the other hand, was simply cherishing every moment. I could have stayed forever.

That seems like a lifetime ago. Where has the time gone?

To hear me talk, you'd think I was talking about my 16 year old and not my 16 month old. Yep, he's almost 16 months and today, he started daycare.

This was a big day on many levels. To start the day off, Teo, the nanny, became Teo the cleaning lady. Even though she's already seen my dirty laundry, I felt compelled to organize, do a load of laundry and do some light house cleaning before she came. God forbid she think I am a bigger pig than the pig she probably already thinks I am. (And no, I am not really a pig but my house has not been as clean as I'd like it to be). Again with caring about what other people think.

I gave Teo a key to the house since Alberto and I had to leave by 8:00am. I was amazed that she made it to the house before 8:00am. Why amazed? Well, she was getting to my house later and later. This resulted in me getting to work late and stressing the entire way there. But nope, she was more than on time this time. Personally, I think it was more to see Alberto than anything else. That was just weird. It was sort of reminiscent of when Dora, Alberto's foster mom, relished the last moments she could spend with him. Weird in the sense, that I felt as though I was in some way breaking some one's heart.

Then, we had our first day at daycare experience. The drop off experience was not as bad as I thought it would be. I did it band-aid style. Well, I first had to drop off "the" bag filled with all his necessities and give directions. He was fine. I chit chatted with the teacher. He played. I walked out the door. He was fine. I was numb. On one hand, you want them to stay fine and not have the emotional meltdowns. But on the other hand, you want them to at least recognize that you are leaving and that they are going to miss you. If this is how it is when he's 16 months, how is it going to be when he's 16 years old and likes girls? I'm toast.

And then, we had our first accident at daycare experience. I got the call. Michelle, the girl from the office, called and let me know we had our first accident. He was fine. He fell off of a bike in the playground, cut his lip, but didn't even cry. In fact, kept on playing. That's my boy!! I've taught him well, wipe yourself off, get up and get back on that bike! But the guilt...

I knew he was fine. I know that he's the type of kid that is just going to be getting bruised and bumped and well, we just recently had our first minor black eye. He's just ALL BOY! But all of that aside, he was hurt and who was there to comfort him? A stranger. And that was the part that really sucked.

We also had a first Nana picking Alberto up from daycare experience. My mom, who is not too thrilled about Alberto staring daycare at this young age, went to pick him up so he wouldn't have to stay so long. She peeked in the window and he was fine. He was playing with a car. And then it happened, he saw her. She decribed it as "los cielos se abrienron" translated: "the skies opened". In other words, we had waterworks. And he went straight for the door! More guilt...

They spent the afternoon together. He played more. I wish I could bottle up his energy. And then finally, he got home! And wanted to play some more...

I suppose he wasn't emotionally scarred by his first day at daycare. Me, on the other hand, might need a little therapy.