Letting Go

Everett started Kindergarten yesterday.  He has been looking forward to it for months.  “Is it fall yet?”  “When will it be fall?”

More recently, the excitement built as we bought his lunch bag, tool box, and new shoes.  He wore his backpack for most of the three days preceding the start of school.  (We had to ask him to take it off at dinner.)

Here he is at the breakfast table on the first day of school.  This photo is not edited.  That is pure excitement shining in his eyes!

I have shed tears on a few occasions at the thought of “losing” my little boy.   I know there will be many stages of letting go through the years.  This feels like the first big one.  He will be away from home for 7 of the 12 hours he is awake.  I will miss him.  The time has flown by so fast, and sometimes looking back through our photos I just wonder what happened to the years.

I sometimes wish I could get the time back.  It seems an endless and above all futile struggle trying to keep up with everything.  I continually have a mixed hope and fear—Have I given my children what they need?  The moments slip away so fast.  I wish the dishes and laundry would do themselves so I could spend more time hugging my kids.  But I digress…

 

Walking to the Bus Stop

 

Waiting for Everett

Here he is!

He had a good first couple of days, and we love his teacher so far.  He probably won’t be learning much in “the three R’s” for a while, being well-prepared at home, but he will be learning a lot about school.  I am really enjoying his enthusiasm.

And I’m proud to say that I didn’t cry until I walked back home from the bus stop with the girls and felt his presence…missing.