First Day of School

Well, we did it.  Our son is registered for pre-school.  Of course, he is on a waiting list, which means we are now in limbo, waiting for another child to move or decide this whole school thing just isn't for them and drop out.  (which brings up a whole other topic...can you drop out of school in pre-school? I mean, I work in a school and am used to citing the state law that says you can't until 18, but whatever.)  Our son wants to go to school.  Now.  Whenever we drive by the elementary where he will go, or the other buildings in the district he will attend, he shouts with vigor "take me to school now!" or some other form of that demand.  He wants to ride a school bus everywhere.  If I sold our Subaru Forester and came home with a giant yellow school bus he would be in the throes of ecstasy.  I think he dreams about them.  I don't know how he will feel about the whole learning thing, but I'll let his teachers deal with it.  For now, he has down the make (and sometimes model) of most of the cars on the road.  He knows his alphabet.  Can count to twenty.  He can spell his own name.  Thanks to Nick Jr. he knows the word stupendous.  I think he's on track.  


This morning we were having a conversation about what his first day will be like when it comes.  I told my husband that I plan to take a partial personal day so I can see him off at the bus stop at our sitter's house.  I want that obligatory first day of school picture at the bus stop.  To which my husband replied, "will you drive to the school and take a picture there of him getting off, and another of him in the classroom?"  This never occurred to me.  I mean, for one, I'll have to get back to work.  Secondly, my mom (a stay at home mom) never did this.  It was just get on the bus, and off you go!  Hopefully all went well and she'd see us when we got home.  I have trust that the teachers in our district will take very good care of our son.  I don't feel a need to document both boarding and disembarking of the bus.  I'll have photographs of him with his teacher from open house, a school program of some sort, or field day I'm sure.  But now I'm thinking...am I the only mom who will not be there to do this?  Does this make me a bad mom?  Is parenting different now (much more hands-on) than it was for our parents?  I don't want our son to feel as though he is the only one who isn't met at school by his parents, but I also do not want to hover.  No helicoptering for this momma.  Our boy needs to use his own wings (or helicopter blades).  I know I am worrying over nothing, but still...when did the need to document every single second become necessary?  Just when I stopped worrying about going back to work tomorrow I will lose sleep over this.