Growing Years

Today, it was Daniel’s first day of preschool.

I navigated my car through the parking lot filled with mothers and children. Hand in hand, they walked into the building. I parked the car while blond-headed Daniel took his lunchbox in his grip, hopped down from his booster seat and shut his door.

Through my open door, he looked at me as I gathered my purse and keys.

Bye, Mom!” He beamed. He gave a big wave and began to turn toward the building.

“Well, Daniel! I am going to walk you to your class!” I laughed as I thought about him thinking he would walk across the full parking lot, cross a driveway, go through the big double doors and find his class on his own.

Needless to say, he has been ready for preschool!

We walked to his class, where he immediately sat down and started working on some play dough.

…and that darn lump rose in my throat.

Just four years ago, I was exactly as far along in my pregnancy as I am now. (All three of my due dates have been within 10 days of each other.) Watching him mold the dough, I saw him as a newborn. Swaddled up tightly, snuggled gently to my chest in a dimly lit hospital room.

Now here I stood, in disbelief that he was old enough for preschool, had a brother, and a sister almost here.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as his teacher (a beloved family friend whose son grew up with Chris) put her arm around me and said, “I know. I did the same thing. Enjoy these moments. When he goes off to college you’ll cry for weeks. It’s just part of it.”

I left before I really got crying and, I must say, thoroughly enjoyed one-on-one time with David. We’ve never really had it – and it was sweet time. He is quite the entertainer and did his best to make me laugh all day long. He succeeded!

We picked up Daniel five hours later, and these two boys acted like they hadn’t seen each other in years.

Five hours is a long time to be away from your best friend!

We came home, had fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies and milk…

…and the boys went down for their nap.

(Truth be told, I can still hear them talking in their room – an hour later. They need their sleep, but they missed each other so much I’m letting it slide!)

These years are so precious. It’s days like these that remind me of the brevity in raising children. I heard the other day,

“The days are long, but years are short.”