Today - Good, Bad and Ugly

Oh, what a day.  I am exhausted, emotionally and physically drained.

Last night I managed to get to bed at a decent time since I had Nicholas lay down in our bed because he couldn't get to sleep in his own.  He was pretty nervous about going to school.  Since he didn't get to sleep until about ten he was rather cranky this morning when we woke him up just before seven.  He wasn't excited about school at all and didn't want to eat breakfast.  Not unusual, I know, but still not easy.  He was crying before long and saying he didn't want to go.  We got both boys dressed and were getting ready to head out the door when I happened to walk over to the far side of the living room where I spotted Nick's indoor sneakers that were supposed to be with his backpack.  He had hidden them behind the couch and said he was hoping that if we couldn't find them that he wouldn't have to go to school.  Since that didn't work he ran into his room, locked the door and hid under his desk.  Unfortunately for him the key was still in the lock on our side of the door so it wasn't difficult getting in the room and finding him.  Ryan thought this was lots of fun but Nick didn't.  Finally we were ready to go.

It's a good thing this wasn't a video because there was a lot of begging going on.  I pretty much had to drag Nicholas in and out of the elevator and he refused to push any buttons.  When we got outside he tried to stop but eventually gave up and came along with me.

The fun was just beginning though.  All the way to school the conversation went back and forth between Nicholas and Ryan like this:

Nick: "I really don't want to go to school."

Ryan: "Don't worry, Nitty.  You don't want to go to school?"

Nick: "No, I want to go home."

Ryan: "You want to go home, Nitty?"

Nick: "Yes."

Ryan: "Mommy, Nitty doesn't want to go to school.  He wants to go home."

This went on and on for the half hour it took us to get to the school.  When we got there we had to drag Nicholas out of the van and down the sidewalk to the front gate where we met up with another couple from Michelin that we didn't know.  Their little girl was also starting today and was standing with her parents and being as good as gold.  We were trying to talk to them but Nicholas was having a bit of a meltdown and Ryan wouldn't stay still or be quiet.  The teacher was supposed to be there at eight but since she was travelling on the shuttle bus with the kids and it was late, so was she.  We waited for a while then tried to ask the guard if we could go in the gate to look at the birds.  We thought that would distract the boys a little and the fence would keep them corralled so Nicholas couldn't run away.  The guard followed us and was trying to tell us something but I don't have a clue what it was.  Luckily Severine, Nicholas's teacher, showed up at that point and we were able to go into the school.  There were three Michelin kids starting today and we all went in and sat down and ended up having to wait about a half hour in the lobby.  We were given some information at this time about what goes on during the day and unfortunately it did coincide with I had told Nicholas.  I thought that he wasn't going to have to lie down for two hours with the Chinese children because he doesn't usually have a nap but apparently the rule is that all the kids have to try to sleep on their cots.  Well, that is the rule for this week.  By next week (or so) if he still isn't sleeping then perhaps it will be okay for him to go with Severine to her office instead of sleeping.

Finally we were able to go upstairs and meet the teachers but the classroom that they took us to was not the one that we were told he would be going to when we visited last week.  There is still some confusion about which class he will be in but for today he was to stay with Severine and the other two children in this particular classroom.  He didn't want to meet the teachers and tried to hide again.  From here we went on a little tour and got to see the outside playground, the inside playground (which apparently is only used in January when Nicholas won't be there) and the science room.  Then it was time to go back to the classroom and for the parents to leave.  Along the way Anne met up with us and proceeded to tell Tim and I that the blood work and physical that Nicholas had back in July might not be any good now and may have to done again.  Oh lord!  I did not want to have to put him through that again.  She said that because the test was done more than a month ago and not at the correct clinic, that they may not accept it.  She was going to try and convince them to accept it but couldn't promise anything.

We got to the classroom and had to drag Nick in after the girls had made their entrance.  All the Chinese kids, about twenty-five of them, were looking at us.  Nick was putting up a good fight and the other parents and French kids had gone in to check out the bathroom that was just off the classroom.  I decided to pull him in there to try and get him out of the spotlight.  Bad move.  When I got into the bathroom I started to panic.  I was shocked to see, on either side of the row of sinks, two little mini-toilets.  Not a big deal except that there were no stalls and the door to the classroom was wide open.  My mouth dropped and I can't even imagine the look that was on my face.  While we were standing there stunned Severine was trying to show us where Nicholas's cup and the water cooler were.  These are kept in the bathroom!  I told her we just needed to talk to Nick for a minute and she left us alone.  We walked over to the window by the far wall and I sat him up on the window ledge.  I was trying to tell Nick that it would be okay while he kept saying "I want to go home" and Ryan piped up with "Nitty wants to go home" over and over again.  Beside us were the two mini-toilets for the boys and two urinals.  I wanted to grabbed my boys, run away and hide but I kept cool.  As I tried to talk to Nick a little boy came in and started peeing in one of the urinals.  It didn't feel right to be standing there and the talk wasn't helping so we took the kids and tried to get back out to the classroom.  Apparently they were starting their snack time because all of a sudden there was a stampede of Chinese kids into the bathroom and we couldn't get out the door.  A little girl sat down to pee and although I felt uncomfortable, she didn't seem to care.  Maybe I'm a prude but all I could think of was a story I had heard before where someone was trying to freak someone else out about school so they told them that everyone had to go to the bathroom in a big room with no doors.  This was like a horror story for me and now I was supposed to leave my four-year-old in it.  Ahhh!  "Bienvenue a Chine" (Welcome to China) is a phrase I hear often from French people and I heard it more than once today.

When we got back out to the classroom the other new kids were being dragged back into the classroom as their parents left.  They were now in a full scream and standing with one of their new teachers, tears streaming down their faces.  Nicholas actually stopped crying when he saw them, until I told him it was time for us to go.  Tim and Ryan left the room and I pulled Nicholas to the back of the class where the teacher was trying to get the girls to play in the sandbox.  I quickly asked Severine to make sure that if Nicholas had to use the bathroom could he please do it alone and perhaps with the door closed and she said she would look after him.

As we were leaving the school Tim actually saw something that made him happy after the blood work/bathroom fiasco.  There was a janitor cleaning the stairs and she was using water that was actually soapy.  Anywhere else we have seen people cleaning it's always been with dirty water.  It made him feel better but not me.  All I could picture was that bathroom.  It was pouring really hard as we ran to the van and when we jumped in, Tian Ye said, "Everything okay?".  My response was a big "No" and as I sat down the tears started.  I have left Nicholas for his first day of school on two other occasions and never cried.  This time was different.  I wasn't so much upset about not seeing him, I was worried that I was leaving him in a nightmare.  Tim talked some sense into me and I started to feel a bit better.  He didn't think the bathroom thing was that big a deal to Nick and I hoped he was right.

We dropped Tim off at work and I called Celine.  She was on her way from the Sheraton to the Mix C mall so I decided that Ryan and I would join her.  When we arrived she gave me a big hug, which I needed, and I told her about our horrible morning.  We strolled around and ended up at Starbucks for a drink.  I had a green tea and realized that I'm not used to caffeine anymore, especially on an empty stomach.  Within a few minutes I had the shakes pretty bad.  Celine and Caroline had to go so I finished my tea then took Ryan and looked around a few stores.  I have to admit that I started to enjoy myself since I only had one kid who was starting to fall asleep on my shoulder.  Then I felt guilty for enjoying myself.  I went to Ole, grabbed a few groceries and some lunch for Ryan, Tian Ye and myself, then went back down to the van.  I was going to go home at this point but decided that I should have a small stroller for Ryan for days that I just want to roam around a mall.  I asked Tian Ye to take me to Wu'ai market.

I knew that if I wanted a really good quality stroller that Wu'ai wouldn't be the place to get it but I didn't want to pay a lot for something that would only be used once a week or so.  I figured a cheap one wouldn't last long but would do the job I needed it to.  We looked around Wu'ai and I found a cute little stroller with a handle that extended like a suitcase.  I had to fight with Ryan to get him into it and that caused quite a scene.  I took him out and moved on.  I was ready to give up when I came across another booth that had one that looked big enough for him.  The guy showed me all the features and said that it was 220yuan ($33).  I offered him 150yuan and he said no.  We started to walk away and he yelled something which Tian Ye translated.  He was willing to do 200.  I said no and kept walking so the guy yelled out again.  150yuan it was.  I went back and bought the thing even though Ryan wouldn't get in it.  Tian Ye pushed it for me and once we were away from the booth I tried to put Ryan into it, bribing him with the iPod.  He squirmed and fought and as I grabbed the strap to buckle him in it broke right off.  Actually, it didn't so much break as rip from the fabric, even though I hardly pulled on it.  I said "Oh Lord!" and Tian Ye laughed.  His response, "It's made in China".  I guess you get what you pay for.

We still had some time to kill before picking up Nicholas so I had Tian Ye take us home for a bit.  By the time we got here we only had a half hour to chill then we were off again.  We got to the school early and when I tried to go in the guard wouldn't let me but he called someone.  I went back to the van and shortly after Severine came out.  As it turns out, we aren't supposed to go in to pick up the kids but wait for her to bring them outside.  It did give me a chance to find out how the day went though.  Nicholas didn't cry for too long but anytime they asked him to do something that he didn't want to, he would start again.  She said he didn't really want to follow the rules but he was well behaved.  I guess it will just take him a while to get used to what the rules are since things are a little different here.  Last night he told me that Tim and I were the best parents in the world because we have rules but not too many.  

A few minutes later Nicholas came out of the school and the first thing he said to me was that he didn't want to go to that school anymore but he was excited to show me his work and tell me about his day.  He never did mention the bathroom so I guess that will remain my nightmare.  He didn't enjoy having to rest for two hours and didn't sleep at all.  He did come with a large green bag filled with school uniforms that they are supposed to wear on Wednesdays and Fridays and bedding for the winter time.  I'm not exactly sure what I am supposed to do with that.  I think all the clothes are too small so we will have to get larger sizes before I can have Nicholas try them on for pictures.  When we got home Nick sat on the couch and said that "it was a long day at school so he was just going to relax".  I guess he's adapting.  Ryan did okay today although we weren't actually home for more than a half hour.  He was excited to go get Nicholas and said that he wanted him.  Once we were out of the van and home the tenderness was gone and they were fighting with each other.  Ryan was pretty tired and went to bed early tonight.  It's 9:30 and Nick's still awake.  Go figure.  

The only bad news is that Nicholas cannot go to school tomorrow, or the next day, and possibly not for the rest of the week.  He must get the blood work done before he can return to school.  Anne is supposed to make an appointment and let me know tomorrow when we can go.  I'm really hoping that this other clinic is nicer than the last one.  At least we will have an appointment this time.

So that was Nick's first day of school.  Smooth as silk.  In other news, we do need to go to Beijing to renew Ryan's passport but the company will only pay for one of us and Ryan to go.  We were going to go as a family and make a weekend out of it but we don't really want to spend the extra money right now.  We have decided that Ryan and I will go and stay for a couple nights, most likely within the next couple of weeks.  That may change, you never know with us.  

I must wish a "Happy Birthday" to another two faithful readers.  Krista had a birthday on Saturday and my grandfather turns 94 today.  I hope you both had great days!

I guess that's it.  Now I'm really tired and must get a milkshake, eat an entire IKEA dark chocolate bar and go to bed.  Until next time...