I can remember helping the teacher prep for Back To School Night by taping up book reports, artwork and pictures he/she took of the class. Back To School Night was such an exciting night growing up! Showing mommy and daddy our desks, projects and listening to the teacher talk about all the good stuff you do, and hoping she doesn’t let them know you’re a chatterbox! It was so exciting! I took Hippo to his first back to school night on Tuesday. Even though he didn’t really understand why we were at school at night and why all the parents were there, he was still very excited! Me…well…I was a lot of different things.
It almost felt like an out of body experience. It was weird to be on the mom end of Back To School Night. I was standing in my child’s classroom. So I guess that means he’s not a baby anymore. Really? Is that what happens? You put your child in preschool and suddenly you no longer have a baby? So what’s next? I was standing there listening to my son’s teacher break down the curriculum already not feeling too hot from the irritated inflamed skin around my stoma and nervous over all about the whole Back To School night. Why nervous? Well, it was the whole what do I ask? Do I need to ask anything? Feeling slightly upset that Jax couldn’t have both of his parents there. Almost kind of feeling guilty that I was the one there enjoying the moment, and his dad couldn’t be. Happy that my son had found a school and was happy and excited to go to school. And then there was coming to the realization that my baby was no longer a baby. So yea, a little happy/worried/excited nervous feeling.
Anyhow so I’m standing there listening to his teacher talk about the upcoming year, and suddenly I start hearing a voice in my head screaming words like: BAKE SALES! PTA! WORLD’S FINEST CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER! GIFT WRAPPING FUNDRAISERS! TALENT SHOWS! PLAYDATES! FIELD TRIPS! CLASSROOM MOMS! and I literally started to break out in a nervous sweat! LOL! I swear! I suddenly realized that my life has changed! I was now a mom! Like a mom, mom! Jax will have activities and homework and sports and…and…and…ummmm…when did this happen? Then I thought about my wardrobe that consisted of mostly cardigans, tanks, t-shirts, jeans, ballet flats, Chuck Taylors and sandals. A lot of it is mostly from Gap or J.Crew or Target. What happened to my see through tops? My Vans and off the shoulder sweaters? What happened to small boutiques & Urban Outfitters? Oh my god, I’m a mom! I realized at that moment I woke up at 6:30 to get the baby ready for school dressed in sweats, a tank and baseball cap, with just my wallet and keys. I was a mom! Like a real mom! I was my mom! I was one of the ladies I would see in the coffee shop with no make up in her “dropping her kids off” uniform. I had one of those uniforms. Oh my God! I am a mom! I will be baking cookies and cupcakes for the bake sale or rushing into the store at the last minute because I forgot about the bake sale. This is real life right now! HAHA!
I took my classroom packet, stapled paperwork for the upcoming fundraiser and raffle tickets without a sound. I looked down at my son sitting with his classmates and then at all the parents around me. And that’s when I felt a gray hair spring up on top of my head. I’ll never look at Back To School Night the same ever again!
