First Days.....

So this week marks again just one of the many, many “first” days. First day of spring. First day of work. First day of the rest-of-your-life. First day of school. Finn started kindergarten this week and it was as momentous a day as one would expect. He was bored of “this old playground”. He was trepidatious about the new lunch bag. He was disdainful of the new back pack (which for the record IS navy blue, even though he now claims it is a tinge purple, therefore unacceptable). He was unimpressed by the centers and downright bored by ‘circle time’. He slouched around his new classroom with his hands angrily buried in pockets or crossed rather, um well, crossly on his wee defiant chest. It’s hard to say the reason. He’s a social creature by nature and one (meaning me) would expect (DID, in fact) that he would have been thrilled to be a school - real school - at long last. He sat on the carpet at circle time and glowered at the teacher and other bright-eyed children. Finally he raised his hand and, to his credit, waited patiently for the teacher to notice him. She inquired sweetly, ‘Yes, Finn?’ and he replied, with all the attitude and force that only a 13 year old girl (not unlike a few I know) might be able to match, ‘I’m grumpy today and I don’t like school.’ To which his new teacher, with infinite wisdom and grace, replied, ‘Thanks for sharing your feelings Finn.’ and moved right along. No fussing. No pandering. No searching in vain for a reason WHY he didn’t want to be there. That was the end of that. I left shortly after, thinking it better to remove myself than suffer the stares of the other children’s [angel’s] parents. By the time I returned to pick him up two hours later, he was hugging the teacher. Which, I know, you’re thinking means he had reformed his way because of a little tough love from Mrs.S. But I know better. I know that Finn is, after all, no dummy. He knows that if he can’t conquer by force and intimidation, then he must simply switch tactics to get his way. He’s overcoming all obstacles by the sheer magnitude of his love. Thus marking the first day of his world domination tour. Watch out, he’s coming for you next.