And Then It Begins...

Most of the kids around here have started school. I'm pretty sure U-dub and L-Trip are in session, and FoCo (how the cool people say Fort Collins, I'm told) is again crowded with CU students.

His Highness starts preschool for real next week. He attended his school's summer drop-in program, but for purposes of photos and officiality and all that, I'm counting next Wednesday as his First Day of School Ever. He'll be going three mornings per week. At church he'll be moving up from the toddler room to Children's Church. And he's old enough to start Cubbies at our church's AWANA program. We've been contemplating doing a gymnastics class this fall as well, to foster his mad motor skillz and crazy energy, but not sure how much we want to take on as far as actual and real commitments go.

So suddenly he has begun the phase of life where he has stuff to do. I mean, it's true that preschool is "just" preschool--there's some leeway in there. We're not talking a loss of GPA and/or college scholarships if he's late too many times or we decide to take a couple weeks off to visit the fam or anything. But we are now back in the position of being up & out by a certain time most days, and likely starting to talk about going to school even when we don't necessarily feel like it, because that's the beginning of what commitment means, and stuff like that. And now I begin to take on the role of chauffer--running him to and from school, and AWANA, and maybe even the gymnastics.

I'm certainly looking forward to the routine of it. And His Highness LOVED doing the summer program at school, so it is likely that he will enjoy it yet again. I get nervous about starting to let him go--it seems so soon, and he seems so young. The reality though, I think, is that he is absolutely ready. I'm nervous only because it is new to me, this phase of life where my kid begins to have significant parts of his world that are outside of me. I'm taking a little time out to see it for what it is, and to recognize yet another of the tiny griefs one encounters as a mom.

Not a lot of time, though--I don't want to miss out on the fun of it...