It was the first day of school.
Alexis would be starting 2nd grade.
Courtney and Chloe would be juniors in high school.
Little Billy would move on from elementary school to middle school and join his friends and 7 new teachers in 6th grade ...
The year was ... 2008.
Alexis arrived home first - all went well.
The twins drove themselves home later in the afternoon - all went well.
Little Billy ...
............ had a story to tell.
"How was your day - Little Billy?" I asked as soon as he walked in the front door.
"Fine," he said, and threw his new back pack on the floor, kicked off his shoes and then he headed for the pantry.
"What was it like?" I follow him into the kitchen.
"No big deal," he stands in front of the pantry with his back to me - eyeing the Little Debbie snack cakes and bags of chips.
"Did you see any of your friends?"
"Yes."
"Did you like your teachers?"
"Yes."
"Did you find your locker?"
"Yes."
"Did you remember the combination?"
"Yes."
"Did you take notes."
"Yes."
"Did you bring home any papers for me to fill out?"
"Yes."
"Did you eat your lunch?"
"I had two lunches today," he offers casually, while pulling himself up on a bar stool at the kitchen island.
*blink blink*
"You took two lunches - you ate two lunches?" I ask.
"No," he stuffs a handful of Lays potato chips into his mouth, "I only ate one lunch - but ... I went to lunch two times," he's stretching his neck to see the TV behind me.
*blink blink*
"Wwhat? What are you talking about?"
"I went to lunch and then after ... I went to my Art class. When I got there - they were all going to lunch - so I went again," he's munching on chips and straining to see the TV - he's very calm.
"Why did you do that?" I move to stand between him and the TV - trying to make him focus on our conversation.
"I made a mistake," he confesses. "I was supposed to go to Advisory first and then to lunch and then back to Art. I went to lunch first - by myself. When I finished and went to Advisory - it was over and they were all going to lunch - so I went again," he thinks this all makes perfect sense - he's a bit agitated having to explain it.
"What did your teacher say?"
"To go to lunch," he emphasises the word lunch like ... lun-CH and then rolls his eyes.
"I mean about you not showing up for Advisory?"
"Oh ... she said, 'Where've you been ... Little Billy?'" he again is trying to see the TV.
"Was she mad?"
"Nope."
"Didn't you wonder where everyone else was - during lunch, I mean?"
"Nope."
"Who did you eat with?"
"I ate by myself."
"Don't do that again tomorrow - m'kay?"
"Okay."
On the upside ... All I could think of was him sitting there in the cafeteria eating all by himself - thinking he was where he was supposed to be. And then ... headed off to class and walking in like nothin' was up. I would have loved to have seen the look on his teacher's face when he said he'd already been to lun-CH! I know him well enough to know that he just strolled into that classroom and even when he realized he had screwed up interrupting his schedule that ... he still acted very cool. I think he would have simply turned around - gotten in line behind the other kids and --- headed off for lunch - AGAIN! *Little Billy's mom can't stop laughing*