It's all so bittersweet

Well, Benjamin is officially in preschool. Alone. By himself. Making new friends. Having fun. Learning. Without me.

He wanted me to stay with him for the first class, and I did, but I intended to anyway, as it's at a new facility with a new teacher and I wanted to check it out. Teacher Dawn is great. I liked her immediately and I think Ben took a shining to her as well. He even got to be the first "weather person" (talk about being P.C.) of the class and he was pretty excited about it. Each day a different kid gets a turn and they go to the window to look outside and then come back and she holds up felt shapes of all the different weather, and they "report" what they saw outside. She then puts the shapes up on the calendar for the day. Ben reported a cloudy day with sun and wind, with the hopes for some "Harry Potter" (lightning - the teacher added that, and she crosses her fingers). It's genious and the kids seem to really like it.

The first day went very well; Benjamin only came over to me a couple of times. For reassurance, really. So I decided that I would try and leave him on the 2nd day. We talked about it on the way to school and Ben didn't like the idea. "Can you please stay for the whole time, mommy?" I told him I'd stay for 10 minutes and then I would go over to Tim Horton's for a tea and if he was good, I'd bring him back a Timbit. Bribery works wonders! Thanks, Greg :)

Anyway, when we pulled into the parking lot Ben promptly forgot about our deal and asked me to stay again. After I sat with him for the good morning song, Teacher Dawn was telling the kids what they were going to be doing for the day and she mentioned the wind socks they would be making. That was it. That's all it took. Ben went straight to the art table, and when I said goodbye to him and he was almost pushing me out of the way so he could make his kite! O-K, see ya kid. Mommy loves you. Buh-bye. *sigh*

My friend Natalie (her son Riley is in the same class) and I both wiped away a tiny tear and walked over to Tim Horton's to drown our sorrows........our boys were going to be just fine without us.

It's not how I pictured the whole thing. I was expecting (well, hoping, almost) for at least a tear or two, you know, so I would feel like he still needed me, but alas, no.

My heart truly swells with pride when I think of him making his way all by himself today (he even put his jacket on by himself for the first time without asking for help! ). But at the same time I'm sad. My baby is growing into a little boy who will eventually not need me so much. Which is terribly bittersweet.

But I can take it :)

How could I not be excited about preschool? Look at him BEAMING over his wind sock!