Off To Preschool

Today Cambel started his first day of preschool. We debated about whether or not we should send him since we know we are moving sooner or later (hopefully sooner) and we decided it would be a good experience for him even if he has to start all over again when we move.

So we packed his backpack with his scissors, glue, markers, and crayons and laid out his clothes and talked about how exciting it would be and Cambel decided it would be "pretty awesome." We even got him a professional haircut before the big day.

And this morning he was off. At 11 I picked him up and he spent the next hour or so randomly commenting on how great it was, even though he can't remember anyone's name. But I don't think that matters too much in preschool.

I have to admit Cambel going to preschool is a bit bittersweet for me. Don't get me wrong, I am all for kids growing up and crying less and dressing themselves and fixing their own cereal...but sometimes I wonder how he got to be 4, and if maybe when all these days of having little ones are over, if I won't feel sad and want some of them back. I guess it is just the knowledge that as time takes all the things I don't mind letting go of, it also takes the things I want to hold on to.

So I guess the unknown malady that has has overtaken Ada (the primary symptoms of which are bawling, a runny nose, and more bawling) has come at a good time. It is a little hard to feel sentimental about the sweetness of little ones when they having been crying all day and won't eat and are generally not very endearing. This I will gladly let go of...

But the smell of baby hair after a bath, blankies and cuddling, reading, learning to talk, giggles, little toes, a 4 year old's imagination---these things I'll keep, even if only in my mind.