Betsy's Blog

Yesterday Aidan started full time preschool. I have been preparing him for the past few weeks, telling him the name of his new school, his teacher, that he will be napping there with his Elmo blanket, and that mommy will always come and get him.

Monday morning he walked immedietly into his class as I was signing in, and when I came in he had started to color on a plastic car. I said goodbye, and with a slight cry of "mommy!" he was done. Today, a kiss, and I left with not a peep. He was too busy looking for Miss Maria to give her a goodmorning hug then to be sad at mom's departure.

I realized today that I may have lost my baby, but what I have instead is priceless. I have a big boy. We talk in the car on the way to preschool, and on the way back. It is this wonderful 20 minutes that we can connect, and I have never appreciated a 20 minute block more in my life. You cannot communicate with a baby like you can a very verbose 2 year old, who is just precious when he tells you about his day.

I thought about this sweet time tonight. Aidan wanted a blue cup, and after I took out all 4, and that still was not the right one..I was beginning to get frustrated at his whining and crying for a cup that just did not exist. As I felt the annoyance peak, I thought about the ride home today, and my sweet boy talking to me. I took a deep breath, calmed down, and realized what he wanted: a blue cup with no lid, like a big boy. I understood.