Dear Holden,
Last week, you officially became a
school-age kid! It’s hard to believe that my little boy, my sweet baby, is off
to school full-time. Of course, you have been in a daycare centre full-time
since you were 15 months old, but it’s just not the same. The ratios are
different, we don’t have regular communication with your teachers on pick-up
every day, you have to bring your own lunch and fend for yourself, there are no
naps to be had, etc. It’s the big time! I will admit, I was a little worried
earlier in the summer, as you didn’t seem any closer to having this whole ‘poop
on the toilet’ thing figured out (despite being 100% pee-trained), and the idea
of not napping daily spelled disaster, for all of us. These are the times when
I cursed having a late-December baby, knowing you would be the absolute
youngest kid in your class (every year for the rest of your life) – the
differences in maturity even out a lot as you get older, but there is a HUGE
difference between a three and a half year old and a four and a half year old,
and I was worried that you would suffer for it.
However, in typical Holden fashion, you
managed to sort everything out in the nick of time. Something happened to you over
the past month or so – obviously, it was a cognitive leap of some sort, but you
managed to not only poop-train yourself, but ditch the pull-ups at night as
well! You stopped napping at daycare literally a week before school started,
and while it makes for some cranky evenings, you are still handling things
well. You practiced opening lunch containers, and packing your bag, and putting
on your indoor shoes. You visited your JK class the day before you started and
found a friend from daycare would be with you; you played in the house centre
and talked with your teachers and explored the classroom.
And then on Thursday morning, you walked
off hand-in-hand with Lexi, with a huge smile and nothing but excited
anticipation because, as you told me repeatedly, you were a big boy now. It
made my heart sing to see you approach this new phase of life without any
hesitation. Of course, a huge part of that excitement comes from being in a
class with Lexi. What is there to be nervous about when you have your beloved big
sister showing you the ropes? And whatever she tells you to the contrary
sometimes, she is excited to have you there also. But the other part of that
excitement is something only you can take credit for – for being the enigmatic,
charming, smiley little boy that you always are. With a zest for life, and
a desire to make people laugh, and an easy-going personality (most of the time
anyway), you are clearly ready for school and all of the joys that it will
bring. I can’t wait to see what this year, and all the years after, hold for
you.
All my love,
Mama
