first day of kindergarten reflections

I wanted to get my thoughts down about today while they are still fresh in my mind. Adam woke up

at 5:30 this morning, and so I'm winding down fast.

- Last year at preschool, Adam was in the oldest group, and so he looked big and I felt like I had a big kid. Now, he looks tiny again.

- We have been preparing Adam for kindergarten for a long time, and I think it really paid off. He told us he wanted to ride the bus this morning, and so we let him and told him we would meet him at the school to take pictures. I really don't get very emotional about these things, but when that giant bus rounded the corner and the lights started flashing, reality hit me. I know we're not sending him out into the "real world," but that's what it feels like sometimes. Thankfully, I held it together. He got on the bus and didn't look back. I had to get him to turn around so I could take his picture. I was so proud.

- The staff at his school was amazing. I know it was stressful for them and that not everything went perfectly, but they handled it very well. Being greeted by the principal as we walked up (without Adam since he was on the bus) meant a great deal.

- I'm glad we have a long weekend to regroup before heading into a full week.

- I am immensely grateful I felt good today and was headache-free so I could be fully present for the experience.

- By far the greatest blessing of today has been all the people who have asked about Adam and told us how proud they are of him and how happy they are for him. This morning I was getting texts faster than I could respond to them. We are incredibly blessed to have so many people who care about our little family.

- Adam's education will have lots of challenges, but I'm glad we got a good start today. I'm trying not to think too far ahead into the future, and trying to enjoy the small, sweet moments while they last.

The day he was born, we began the process of letting him go. Today was just another step of that process. 

up and down, up and down

Today's my first shot at riding public transportation to work. Lydia's coming downtown twice, and by eliminating my trip, we save about six bucks in gas.

Our fair city has a bus system as its sole form of public transportation. The one notable exception is the Music City Star, our lone rail line from downtown to the east. The bus system appears to be, at least at first glance on my trip, a great government institution: big, old, operational, and inefficient. When I got to the intersection where I boarded, the bus didn't stop at any of the bus stop signs. It stopped in the middle of a parking lot. I had to ask when I got on if I was supposed to get on there.

Also, in the first ten minutes I've been on this "express" bus, we've wound our way through five different back streets when we could have gone straight down Old Hickory Boulevard. Interestingly, on these back streets, we've picked up people along the way at "non bus stop" locations. It makes me think, of course, "well why can't I have a bus come straight down my street instead of making this ten minute walk in the morning??"

37X is a double bus, and when I boarded, I was passenger number two. A little awkward, because I had no idea where to sit. I made my way past the first passenger to the second half of the bus. Now that we're moving, I've figured out that there's more noise back here... it's where the engine is (duh.) So next time, closer to the front.

When I ran my trip on the website, it showed the fare as $1.35 each leg. When I boarded, it shows $1.85. I knew they were going to be raising the rates, but it's a little frustrating (read: "governmenty") that they haven't updated the information to the public. Since I'm on a one-way trip, I'm paying cash today, but in the future, I may go for a multi-ride ticket to make it even cheaper.

So far, the clientele on my ride is all business people... and I'm just inferring by state of dress and age that they're all government people. Since the main bus stop is right in the middle of a bunch of city and state government buildings, that's probably not a stretch. School's out, or we might have some magnet kids with us.

But, the real upside to the whole thing so far, if you haven't figured it out, is that my broadband card is working, and I can GET STUFF DONE on the trip instead of just sitting in my car by my lonesome on I-65. Or I could just blog. Which I am.