Answer the bell
The end of summer means buying a host of school supplies, like paper towels and brand-specific glue sticks, and watching Robert carefully arrange them in his new Lightning McQueen backpack so that no distending parts impede the zipper.
The end of summer means no more enslavement to inept weather forecasts.
The end of summer means skipping out of work to run back home and walk Robert to his first day of kindergarten, and listening to him talk his way out of being so desperately nervous.
The end of summer means feeling Robert's iron grip on my fingers and wonder if I'll ever play the piano again.
The end of summer means taking a few dozen pictures of him in front of his new school before he finally turns away in a huff and refuses to pose anymore.
The end of summer means walking him to his new classroom, seeing him run to his friend Eric, and watching them size up all the building materials along the back wall.
The end of summer means marveling at a little boy who is youngmanifying before my eyes, as in stop-action photography. It means looking at Lightning McQueen, and all the hero worship he embodies, and thinking about the actor who tried to kill himself last week.
The end of summer means thinking about the veneer that parents build to protect their young children from cold, hard reality, and acknowledging that it's just starting to flake off.
The end of summer means throwing away that nasty old pair of blue shorts, because they make me look like I have no ass.
When your kids are growing up there is nothing quite like the first day of school to bring that reality into crystal clear focus. Another year older, a new set of expectations for them, of them and by them, another year further away from their babyhood and closer to ... well never mind that. Do get rid of the shorts, though - good call.
Posted by: 21stCenturyMom | September 07, 2007 at 18:35
Very sweet. There is nothing like your child's first day of Kindergarten.
And yeah, ditch the shorts.
Posted by: Ellen-Mary | September 07, 2007 at 19:07
Nice.
Posted by: Joe | September 07, 2007 at 19:08
We started school this year too. Weird to let go of them like that.
But yeah, let go of the shorts.
Posted by: Hygiene Dad | September 07, 2007 at 21:42
Sweet post, man. Almost killed me, in fact.
Say, is that a Yankees or Red Sox cap Robert has on?
Let's catch up, man....
Posted by: L Man | September 08, 2007 at 01:03
You would throw such pants away? And with them all the opportunities to ask 'does my bum look big in this' and be truthfully answered 'no'?
Men. Are a mystery to me.
Posted by: shula | September 08, 2007 at 08:43
Great word... Youngmanifying.
I'm going to remember that one.
Nice post.
Posted by: Matthew | September 08, 2007 at 14:17
You have an inept ability to capture in blog how very painful parenting can be.
Posted by: Alli | September 08, 2007 at 22:47
Oh, well done!
Posted by: tuckova | September 10, 2007 at 04:05
The end of summer means lots of posts about the beginning of fall.
Posted by: BOSSY | September 11, 2007 at 08:54
A once a week post makes me think you are playing Scrabble.
(The shorts are fine.)
Posted by: bitsy parker | September 11, 2007 at 15:43
Damn you, sir. Damn you and any other grown man that can write something like this and make me cry. Or at least get an extremely large choke-knot in my breathe hole. This was lovely, and true, and real, and makes me want to go hug my 5 year-old in her gigantic Tinkerbell backpack. You're a wonderful, wonderful father and should be proud.
Posted by: Elvis Dingeldein | September 11, 2007 at 18:27
3 kids...all grown...let me tell you, the story never ends....
Posted by: Been there...3 times | September 13, 2007 at 20:24