Back to school

Both kids went back to school today. I was sad.

Especially sad because our winter holiday break was full of sickness. We had the stomach virus the week before break, Saturday of break P got a fever that lasted on and off for four days, and then each of us dropped like flies.

Then, to start off P's first day back I told her to take the toilet paper rolls to school we had been saving. The classes were all making snowflakes for Sandy Hook. 

I had not discussed the Sandy Hook tragedy with my children. I was shielding their young hearts from it, but she asked what the rolls were for, so I told her that some children had died and we were sad for their families. She continued to ask questions about how they died, who killed them, etc. etc. Basically, I ended up having to tell her about the gunman, too. She asked if he went to jail, and I told her no, that he died too. She asked how and I told her he was shot. She asked who shot him, and I told her he shot himself because he was scared when he realized what he had done. She cried. I felt so terrible about telling her the truth, even though I smoothed it over and only stated facts, it was not easy. Seeing her cry for those kids and the gunman made my heart hurt. Introducing her innocent being to a world where not all people are kind was not something I was looking forward to...