Charlie’s First Day

Charlie's first day of French public school! We set the alarm for 6:45 so that Gabe and I had a few minutes to get ready before waking up Charlie at 7 am. We had an hour to get ourselves out the door, but I couldn't help feeling nervous for Charlie. My job was to keep my cool, or rather, be invisible!

Gabe stepped up as he knows how to help Charlie process his emotions. They spent some time in bed talking about things. Breakfast was delicious – scrambled eggs and slow-roasted sweet peppers. Did Charlie eat any? Nope. He was understandably nervous but kept his cool. The four of us walked to school, with Charlie leading the way. As we neared Jules Ferry, Evie and Gaspar crossed our path, but Charlie was too anxious to engage. The small courtyard outside the school was filling up with parents and kids, and we weren't quite sure what to do or where to go. Then, Gabe spotted a man who appeared more like a teacher than a parent – Mr. Pehman, the one we'd been emailing all summer. Gabe introduced himself and Charlie, and he directed us to Charlie's teacher. I had expected the teachers to be dressed more formally, but they were surprisingly casual in shorts, t-shirts, and athletic shoes. It gave off a very relaxed and kid-friendly vibe. Charlie's teacher had a warm smile and calm energy. He asked Charlie if he spoke French, to which Charlie confidently replied, "Un petit peu." The teacher reassured him that he speaks fast but will explain things in English. Over time, he'll reduce the English assistance. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the rest of what he said, so I'll need Gabe to fill in those details later. We said goodbye to Charlie and pointed to the basketball hoop to line up for his class. Evie was there too which I think was a relief for Charlie! As for me, well, I had to summon all my energy not to burst into tears. This was such a scary moment, but Charlie remained cool and walked right in. Walking away from the school, I managed to pull myself together, wiped the tears from my eyes, and whispered, "Bonne Chance, Charlie." I have a feeling this was more intense for me than for him. Haha!

While Charlie was at school, we managed to accomplish a few things, but our thoughts kept returning to the hope that Charlie was having a fantastic day. We visited the Tkik Tkak office so that Luke could get his bus card, which now allows him to take the bus whenever. We also gave him his Belgian ID card to place in his wallet, marking a significant step towards independence. It's amazing how quickly he's becoming self-reliant —— once he feels comfortable doing so. Luke and I decided to make the most of our time by going for a swim at the Port Vieux. To our surprise, the tide was incredibly low, which caught us off guard. We arrived back at Charlie's school around 4:30 for pick-up, and parents were coming in from all directions. The youngest kids were the first to be released. Then, we spotted Charlie's sweet face among the "big" kids, wearing the best smile. That was a good sign. Charlie walked up to Gabe, and they exchanged a high-five. Charlie shared that he had the best day, which was such a relief and joy to hear. He mentioned having four recesses, and he met another boy who speaks English and is from California too. I asked about the lunch, and he said it was “good cafeteria food” (even though he didn't finish it), and he skipped the goûter today. He also had positive things to say about his teacher, which is fantastic. He played soccer and sharks and minnows with his classmates. He said the boys were welcoming and nice. First day in the bag.