Holden - First Day of JK

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