First Day of School

Last Wednesday Andrés began school. In the picture the director is holding his backpack and his teacher is holding him. Both of them are very nice and helpful, wanting him to adapt as quickly and smoothly as possible.
After school, he and I headed out to purchase some school supplies, the aforementioned guardapolvo and some cuadernos (notebooks). Each class has its own different colored cuaderno, and his teacher Dolores asked us to buy 3: yellow, red, and green. So we headed out on the train. It's a trip I won't soon forget.
Have you ever seen those moms with out of control kids and you wonder why they don't just take them in hand? Well, maybe it's because the kids are just having a nervous day and is totally out of control, and the mother is taken by surprise. I know I sure was.
Andrés had to touch everything in each store that we enter. "Don't touch," was a 5 second command, and even if he remembered for longer than that, it certainly didn't apply to the next store. The worst store was the last. We went into a clothing store and when we were attended, he hid himself, not coming out when I called him. Then after we looked at the pants, he hid again, this time inside a rack of clothes, knocking off a bunch when I told him to come out. After the 5 second, "don't touch ANYTHING!" wore off, he tried on the pants and proceeded to touch the mirror, which then fell off the wall and almost hit him on the head! Finally, when I was paying, he decided to "admire" the window display with his hands - a snowman complete with tons of styrofoam snow. The owner finally told him "hands off!" as I was doing yet another "Don't touch!!"
For as wonderful as the prices were at this clothing store, I wonder if I dare step foot inside ever again. Maybe with the girls it will go better. And for having this experience, I will now give any exasperated mother the benefit of the doubt next time I see her, as she tries to get her kids under control. It could just be one of those days for her...