In less than one week...

B1 starts Kindergarten on Tuesday, September 3rd! In some ways I can hardly believe it, and in others it seems a long time coming. Wow! How wonderful it is that he is ready to approach this new opportunity with such eager excitement. Despite his interest, enthusiasm, and genuine thrill to be going to school, his Mommy has some trepidation. Yes, of course, I am sure this is not unique. The concern I have is less about "my little boy growing up" and more about him being in the world (the smaller world of the classroom) without me. Indeed, he has been in different childcare arrangements where he has existed for hours on end without me, yet there seems to be something quantitatively and qualitatively different about starting Kindergarten.

I have felt more pressure over the last several weeks, days, hours, minutes (you get the picture?) about sufficiently equipping him with the skills - physical, social, emotional, psychological - necessary to find his way among the other children, new experiences, teacher, etc. he will encounter. Did we do enough reading? Was I too hard on him when he cried instead of using his words? Not enough? Did we have enough "summer adventures"? Did we do too much?

I know from my own life that most of my most significant growing periods were those that started in sadness, upset, disappointment or otherwise "crappy circumstances." Yet, I am somewhat fearful for my son to learn his own life lessons in a similar matter.

The other side of my trepidation is pure elation - a sense of wonder and excitement of my own that he has reached this special milestone. The question becomes, am I equipped to stay on the latter side (at least for Tuesday!)?

... I think so
... I hope so

But I still love your cookies

I make a breakfast that usually thrills most - blueberry french toast. This morning B1 exclaims, "I don't like this anymore. My tastes have changed." Just yesterday, he picked at his grilled cheese and said, "I really don't like 'gorilla cheese.' What?! THIS from my child who eats everything, has never turned his nose up at anything? When I questioned this recent turn of food preferences, he simply stated, "But I still love your cookies!" Then, he added, "and orange juice." I replied, "But I don't make the orange juice." "Hhmm. What's next?," I wonder out loud. He answers, "I don't like chicken anymore either."

What gives?

Is it Okay when kids run inside?

Department stores, grocery stores, the mall, etc. I keep hearing myself saying, "please boys, we are not in a park. Stop Running Around!" How long do I need to keep this up? Perhaps my 2.5 year old just can't walk - he rushes, runs, skips and dances his way around. Who, as his mother, am I to tell him otherwise? It is not like they are climbing up on the shelves or deliberately running into people. Yet, that part of me that thinks this is not the place for this, I should be saying something... keeps pulling me to natter this and natter that about why "we don't run in stores." The main culprit here is not some out of control child. He is the same child who in response to me saying, "I am so proud of you and how well you are doing with your potty training," sweetly states: "Thank you, Mama, that makes me so happy."

As I write this we are now at home and the kids are playing in the living room. Again, my little one goes behind the cushions of our couch and I am ready to repeat: "Please get out of there. We don't go on there like that. Our house is not 'blah, blah, blah...' and he says, "I am just getting the car from behind there!"

Ah, the joys of parenting! When to just leave well enough alone?! any ideas?