Awestruck!

Somedays I look at my kids and think, "Man!  How did you grow up so quickly?"

Take Big for instance...

Last year, I lost many nights sleep trying to decide if he should start kindergarten or not.  He has a late birthday so we could have easily gone either way.  When the registration due date came and went and I still hadn't dropped off the 10 or so forms that I'd agonized over filling out, I realized I'd already made the decision.

He would have been fine last year.  He would have had some adjustments to make.  He would have clung to me for a few weeks and then got over it and probably would have been happy at school eventually.  But, he would have most likely been the youngest in the class...forever...and that would have sucked when he was older.

So we held him back...and as it turns out...I'm so glad we did!!

Because this year when he started kindergarten, he was so ready for it that he really didn't need much of an adjustment period.  He was a little nervous on the first day but ever since then, he literally runs into the car to go to school and he barely even acknowledges my existence as I yell, "Bye, buddy!  I love you!!" over and over again in the hopes that he may still need a hug before starting his day.  Most days, he doesn't.  I keep reminding myself that that's a good thing :)

But what really blows my mind about that kid is that he's also started a new daycare and didn't know any of the teachers or kids before his first day there.  I was nervous about how that was going to go.  Not because I was worried that he wouldn't make friends...man!  That kid makes friends no problem!  But I was worried that he wouldn't like it or would be nervous or scared or would maybe have too many new things going on and it would be overwhelming for his 5 year old self.

Turns out, it was only overwhelming for his mommy!!  He didn't even have a regular routine for the first month...one day, he'd be at daycare, the next day he'd be at his friends place, the next day I'd be dropping him off...the kid was all over the place!  And yet, he'd just ask me in the morning, "Where am I going today?" and would take the whole thing in stride with a giant smile on his face and only so much as wave at me as he went on to his next adventure.

I don't know what happened to my mildly anxious kid but I sure am in awe of how mature and well adjusted he's become!

And then there's his brother...that kid has wanted to do everything himself..correction, his own way...since he was born!  He's never had any anxiety issues and rarely clung to me out of fear of trying new things.

He just started a new program the other day that was in a completely unfamiliar area and with kids and teachers he'd never seen before.  He strolled in, picked up a toy, said to the kid next to him, "Hi!  My name is <Small>.  What's your name?", and didn't even look at me when I said Bye a couple hundred times.

I sat outside the class for the whole two hours anyway...I'm not sure why.  The kid has never once ran out of a program like that screaming.  I guess I just wanted to make sure I was there in case there was ever a first time.

They say that letting go of your children is the hardest thing to do as a parent.  While I realize my kids have a lot of growing up still to do, I am amazed that they are already starting to leave me behind.

I'm so proud of them and the amazing people they are becoming...I just wish they would hurry up and slow down this growing up thing :)  They are still my babies after all :)