First day of school and before it

Mica my daughter was excited to go to school today. It's the first day of school for her since she is an old student of the school. She is in grade four now at 8. (Extended holidays!) :D New and incoming students already started last Sunday.


What do you think an excited student do the week and the day before school starts? Hmmmm

Mica (a week before school starts): Mom I would like to have that corned beef hash with eggs you cooked before for my packed lunch on the first day of school.

Mom: (the night before the first day of school): Cooking what was requested. I keep notes; it's a motivation factor for the kiddo you know. When she saw me preparing it last night, she throw herself to me and gave me a big hug and a big kiss. Thanked me for cooking her favorite. Well, almost everything I cook is Mica's favorite; she even dubbed me as the World’s Best Mom Chef every time I cooked something she likes! :D I got a title now hehehe!

Me (while cooking in the kitchen): peek at the kitchen door because I think I saw someone wandering around the house carrying a heavy backpack, looks like the ninja turtles stop by to say hi. Who else would it be but my school girl. I collected the books and the notebooks from the school earlier and that's what she was carrying around the house in that famous kitty bag. I ask what was she doing, she replied "what? I am trying on my new bag!” I go bonkers!

I wrapped her notebooks in brown paper and her books in clear plastic cover; while I was doing that I told myself, this feels like I am the one going to school again! Sooner or later Mica must learn how to wrap her school books. She helped by cutting scotch tapes. Some are too short and some are too long; it reminds me that she is still a little girl, still trying to perfect her scissors handling skills. I wrapped two dozen books and notebooks and it took me four hours, a run and a re-run of Ice Age 4 on TV and a back pain to finish it. Is that slow? Is there a notebook/book wrapping challenge around here for moms? :)

Mica: Went to bed early (but was awake for an hour after hitting the sheets.) Can't stop thinking how excited she was about school. She missed her classmates, her teachers, keeps on hoping that her classmate and friend Hilary will still be her classmate this year. Sad about Janica moving on to a new school and will not see her everyday anymore.

Mom’s reaction: Please go to sleep and you'll find out all about it tomorrow. You will still have some old classmates and some new ones and you can always make friends with them. I told her it’s really sad but those friends of hers who moved into a new school will be the new kid in the new school; they themselves will have new classmates and will also make new friends. I know it’s difficult for the kids here in Dubai to deal with the fast-phase life of expatriates who keeps coming and going every minute. After that conversation, we were both on our way to dreamland.

Mica woke up early this morning, took the towel and went directly to take a shower. Put on her new school uniform and ate breakfast; brushed her teeth and kissed me goodbye. Rushed at the door too excited.

While I was taking a shower, I go deep in my thoughts. I was amazed at how much she has grown over the years; now independently preparing herself for school. I hope that it's not just the first day. Really!