Asher is learning how to ride his bike without training wheels! And today we went to swim class and he got promoted to the next level. He can swim now, head down arms circling and legs kicking. He is shedding his baby skin as he meets new challenges and he glows with pride when he realizes his successes.
The summer began with a preschool graduation. For weeks prior, Asher wanted to know "how many days till I graduate?" The day finally came and Asher walked proudly under the canopy of arms of the other parents and non-graduating children.
Then recently, after months of summer days at home, Asher visited his preschool for a day. As a visitor, a graduate. When we got there he saw old preschool friends and hugged them with gusto. He skipped off to the bathroom to wash his hands and went to play a little more. When I told him I was ready to go and I would see him at pickup, he ran over to me smiling and said, "Mom! All the things here are too small for me!" I looked at him towering over the other preschool children.
"What happened to my 2 1/2 year old that began preschool?" Where are his chubby cheeks , curly hair and his round toddler belly?" Images from the first day of preschool flashed in my head like a slide show. Asher cried until his face turned red and he reached for me pleading me not to go. The teachers said to leave quickly, that it would be best for everyone, so I did. But when I climbed the stairs and walked out of the house onto the driveway I could still hear him crying. Surprising myself, I leaned against a wall and broke out in tears. Mothers of older children circled around me and offered advice. "It gets better," one said, "I used to stand out here and cry too" said another. I could not imagine it ever getting better. But of course it did.
Just the other day I reluctantly took both children to the daycare at the gym so that I could workout for a short while. Adirah screamed and grabbed onto me when I tried to go.
"Don't worry Adirah," Asher said happily, "Mom will come back!"
Even with Adirah screaming I smiled inside. Mom will be back. This is a concept I never thought Asher would understand. Because Asher did get better at being left at preschool in the comfort of his familiar teachers and friends, he did not get better at being left at a gym daycare or even with a new babysitter until very recently.
Why are the years so fast when the days seem so slow? Most of the time it is difficult to just get Asher out of bed. So the mornings go in slow motion. If we don't need to be anywhere we are patient, we wait until he is ready. And then there is getting dressed, fed, out the door. Slow. Slow. Slow. But now he is starting Kindergarten. At an ELEMENTARY school. And we will walk to school day after day and those days might seem slow too. But years will fly by. And I will anticipate the day I have read so much about. The day he no longer wants to hold my hand.
Comments