The Biggest Boy

While my boy looks a tad concerned in this picture, have no fear. He was just enormously frustrated that mom wanted to take another picture and he just wanted to GO INSIDE!!! Today was day 1 of preschool. I expected to be met with emotions galore, running the gamut from overjoyed to devastated. Not so. I was completely and totally at peace. I was waiting for a twinge of sadness on my part, a single tear, some sort of melancholy/nostalgic turn of the heart and thoughts of how this marks the end of an era. An era in which I am one of only a handful of people who influences my child's life. An era that marks me as "the best mommy in the whole wide world" (direct quote, by the way) and therefore gives supreme authority to all of the knowledge and information I impart to my child. An era in which I am loved unconditionally and am the "best friend".

Ok, now I'm sad.

It's true. This IS the end of an era. I know that my son starting preschool is a milestone that pales in comparison to a child entering first grade/middle school/high school/college, marrying, bearing children. But his steps into that preschool building today marked the first step on the path that will take him toward all of those milestones and away from me. However, I am overjoyed. And NO, not just because I now get 2 1/2 gloriously peaceful hours three afternoons a week (although, who are we kidding, that IS glorious). I'm overjoyed and at peace because he is ready, and that makes me ready too. I have no doubt that this is the right time and right place for him to be and will spend each day of this school year praying not only for him but his teachers and friends as well, for the part they will play in shaping his life.

JJ continues to be SO loving, joyful, social, intense, and physically active. He is a bundle of life-loving energy who continues to be most interested in trains, building/creating (particularly with Legos or Playdoh), trucks (especially when they're digging in dirt or sand), water, time (I patiently take deep breaths now at the question, "But what time will that be?"), and exhibiting his independence (most notably at a recent visit to a park where the only bathrooms were a port-a-potty. Upon insisting he could accomplish his "business" (and we're not talking pee-pee here, people) on his own in this most infamous of facilities, I let him have a go. Lo and behold, two minutes later, a naked little boy was running around in full view of one of the busiest intersections in this particular suburb. But at least he tried). He also continues to entertain us with the things he says. For example:

After listening to a song with the lyrics: "If you love Jesus....say I do!", this was his request: "Mom, can I have the I love cheese song?" Mom: "The what song?" JJ:"You know, If you love cheese say I do?"

"I had nice dreams last night! One was called "I was at Wendy's ordering food"!"

So, back to preschool: He RAN in the door, had his name tag affixed, RAN to the bathroom to scrub his hands (abandoning his backpack), then RAN to the toys to begin playing. I was proud to hear him introduce himself to a new friend, "Hi, are you Sam? I'm Jeran." And then I heard, "Don't touch my stuff" or something to that effect.

Upon returning from school there was not a lot of detail forthcoming about the afternoon, but I did get out some information about the sandbox, pretzels & juice, and the aforementioned Sam. All in all, a stellar day in the life of a four-year-old. Here's to a successful year ahead!