A Big Day for a Big Boy

Wow, a big day for a big boy.

Forget big today was massive. Momentous. Huge. Like the opening ceremony of the Olympics or when Robbie left Take That (then rejoined 15 years later)…Drumroll… It was Oliver’s first day at preschool… although anyone would think it was my first day at school, I was so flipping nervous.

The alarm clock was set from the night before (don’t you just hate setting an alarm?), with of course the obligatory all night wakings of a baby who usually sleeps. Joyous.

Oh well at least I’m keeping YSL in business with the amount of Touche Éclat I slapped on the bags. Somehow, don’t ask me how, we forced ourselves out of bed for 7am (and by we, I mean Oliver and I, as he seemed to make his way into our bed this morning too-I just pretend we’re Brangelina with our six kids in bed then realise I’m lacking 12 nannies, for when I need to actually sleep)…Anyway, I managed to coax my (very, nearly) 3 year old into his uniform.

The preschool is a natural progression from the nursery at the school he’ll go on to attend and although he’s been wearing uniform since the age of 2, this time it’s slightly more grown up with a shirt instead of a t shirt and trousers not jogging bottoms.

Proud as punch he posed for photographs, shirt all tucked into his trousers with a jumper on top, giving me his best ‘Alan Sugar as a toddler’ impression. He really looked like it was his first day in the City not preschool. Bless.

On the way there, Daddy and I played his favourite Cbeebies album, the first tune being that gratingly annoying Justin’s House theme tune (now I love a bit of Justin but it was too early in the morning for this madness) and Oliver chatted away excitedly in the back about how he would see his friends soon and which tractors he would play with today.

Suddenly just as I felt my head might explode, Oliver stopped mid sentence and uttered the words I never thought I’d hear when it comes the Cbeebies album: “Mama, please turn off the music, my ears have a headache”. With pleasure son.

Arriving at school, he bounded in, located his best friend who was also moving up to preschool and off he went, just like that-my independent little boy. It’s an incredible school and I’m so happy he’s attending yet in all honesty today was tinged with a litle sadness. The baby I brought home from hospital just three years ago, is suddenly embarking on his next rights of passage.  Before long he’ll be bringing me a future wife to vet (yes I’m going to be that Mum).

Watching him through the window as he scuttled off amongst a sea of children, I desperately wanted to call out, “Wait, hold on, I’m not ready, come back to Mama”. But I didn’t. (Now that would have just been embarrassing).  Holding back the tears, I headed back to the car and as soon as the ignition turned on, good Ol’ Justin’s House filled the car again. The husband reached over to turn it off but I stopped him and just like that, we listened to it all the way home…

Photograph © Peter Broadbent.