I didn’t have time to be nostalgic about my youngest kid participating in Kindergarten Round Up, (a preview of elementary school for preschoolers entering Kindergarten next fall). Instead, there was a flurry of emails to the school administration, nurse, and staff. There were meetings, apps were downloaded, and then the morning of Kindergarten Round Up rolled around.

It’s hard to bolus for emotions.

Just a quick glance at Henry’s face shows how excited he was, and a quick look at his blood glucose on his Dexcom CGM (continuos glucose monitor) shows how anxious he was to attend the same school as his big sister.

Adrenaline is a hormone that’s secreted during stress, and it raises the blood sugar. We’re learning that many things raise or lower blood glucose: a growth spurt, illness, puberty, exercise, emotions, a unicorn jumping over a blue moon after a black cat crosses its path, and just because.

Days before we walked through the school doors, I knew it would be another vacillating moment of living with diabetes: a challenge to preserve the typical experience, while ensuring safety and health. And it was. Henry’s first introduction to school was meeting with administration and the nurse, listening to us talk about his blood sugar. But he’s heard us talk about his blood sugar so much that it’s old news, no news. But Kindergarten, that’s new news. He was bouncing, happily telling everyone, “I can spell to 100.”

And he can spell (and count) to 100. If a blood glucose of 300 is any indication, this kid is excited to go to Kindergarten.