School! (Kind Of)

There are moments, I confess, when I long for the days when all of my kids will be at school during the day, so I can be my productive self once more, without a somewhat tyrannical 2-year-old dictating the ways I spend my time.

But honestly, they are pretty few and far between. Because seriously? This kid?

He's got me wrapped around all ten of his fingers, and at least 6 of his toes. 

Don't lie, he's got you in his pocket, too.

This year we were invited into a small preschool co-op with some of our friends. Even though Walt is pretty young, he's super smart and I know he'll have a blast with the other kids, so I said yes. It also means I get a 2-hour block all to myself on Wednesday mornings about 3 times a month, which is a nice perk. :) I'm not really considering this as his "first day of school" experience, because he probably won't remember most of it, and it is super low-key. The kids get together and learn about a letter, listen to music, read books, and whatever else the mom in charge wants to throw in. It's only once a week. 

We've been talking about getting ready for "going to school." He was pretty excited, even if he didn't completely understand what that meant...Daniel Tiger goes to school, so that was good enough for him.

Today was the first day. We agreed that for the first week, we'd have all the parents stay for the whole thing so that the kids could get acquainted and feel support.

Walt really did pretty well. He doesn't like coloring all that much, so it was a challenge to keep his attention on those tasks. But he really enjoyed interacting with the other kids and having some structured activities. He surprised everyone when the teacher asked the kids what words start with the letter "A" and he chimed in with "ambulance!" Only my kid, I swear. I don't know where he gets this stuff. 

It's hard not to feel a little emotional about this new adventure in Walt's life. I can't believe he is big enough to do something without Mom. I worry that because he is the youngest in the group, he'll struggle or get frustrated. And of course, I'm excited for him. He loves to strike out on his own, to play with friends, and to learn new things. I pray that this experience will give him confidence and help him find out how smart, talented and capable he is.

Go get 'em, my darling (sort of) pre-schooler. You got this!