The Last Day of the Purple Bags

Today was the last day of school for my children.   My son will be returning to the same school next year but in a different classroom.   He’s been in the same Montessori ‘Children’s House’ classroom for the past three years.   He’s been one of the classroom leaders this year and has very much enjoyed helping out the younger students.   He’s got a lot of empathy and he loves little children, sometimes too much when he over hugs them.

My daughter’s last day was also today.   For her, it was the last day at her school, the school she’s attended for four years.   She’s been in the same Children’s House classroom for three years as well.   This year she was one of the older children, but due to her vision impairment she was the one receiving help from the other students.   On the few occasions I was in the classroom, it was heartwarming to see the other children step in to help her find something or complete her work.

When you start at our school the toddlers are given a purple bag that has their name on it.   It’s a nice canvas bag that fits their small height.   They carry things like a water bottle, their lunch box, spare cloths and work they’ve completed to bring home in their bag.    When they start they can barely hold  the bags and sometimes drag them along behind them but by the end of the first year they won’t let you even help them because they want to be independent.

Here’s a picture of my daughter on her first day of school.   She’s two days before her first birthday in a fluffy jacket, carrying her purple bag.

My son and daughter have carried their bags for almost five years to school every day.   The dragging that happens has worn holes in the bottoms and the things they like to put in them (like rocks and mulch) have taken their toll on the purple color, making it a little more dirt purple, but the bag still works.

Next year we’ll have backpacks for each of them and a new chapter of school with start for both of them.    For today, they’re just glad it’s summer and school’s out.

The Big Boy Update:  My husband is in a golf tournament out of town.   If he plays well, he’ll make the cut and stay out of town for two more days.  My son misses his father apparently because when I told him he chanted out loud, “please don’t be good, please don’t be good.”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  After noon dismissal the entire school met at a park to celebrate with pizza  and Italian ice.   My daughter did a good job of holding the hand of a friend when she needed to move around or sitting closely to someone at the table when she was eating.   I was nervous the whole time she was going to hurt herself, heat injury in particular, but she had fun and the event went off without incident.   Color me relieved.

The Did You Know This Fact:  My husband texted me today saying, “5oz of Broccoli has more vitamin C than 2.5 lbs of oranges”.   I love broccoli.   I think I may well love it even more now.