Noah's First Day of Preschool

I have to take a pause in the "great blog catch-up of 2017" to document this historic day.  The day when I sat alone in our house for nearly 2 hours for the first time in eleven years.  And I didn't talk to anyone, and I didn't have to clean up any messes, and I actually heard myself think... and think.... and think about how sad and exciting and liberating and even a little soul crushing this day is.

Because today, my baby boy started preschool. 

And boy was he ready!  He wore his favorite shorts, his favorite shirt, his favorite backpack, even his favorite underwear (but don't tell him I mentioned that).  

He marched right in and started playing like a boss, gave me a high-five from his stationary bike and didn't give me a second glance when I told him I was leaving. 

But it got me thinking about how unique this moment feels.

Leah was born in Utah, and started preschool in Indiana.

Adam was born in Utah, and started preschool in Iowa.

Emma was born in Indiana, and started preschool in Iowa.

Noah was born in Iowa, and started preschool in Iowa.

And somehow this feels different.  Because I don't know how the time has passed so quickly here in Iowa.  I'm pretty sure that it was just yesterday that we were driving Noah home from the hospital in Des Moines (and I cried pretty much the whole way home because I was so overwhelmed at the prospect of taking care of four little babies all by myself).  Or maybe it was just yesterday that I was picking Emma up from the same preschool and she was snuggling me at naptime, and now she's gone all day long.  And it got me thinking about how hard Adam's preschool felt for me, because his first teachers had very little tolerance for his level of activity, and what a blessing it was to find a preschool that was such a good fit.

And it made me think about next year, when I'll most likely send Noah to the school district preschool, which is basically half-day kindergarten.  And he won't be napping then, but I probably will be wishing that he still did.  And I'll be wishing that he was here to make a big messy pile of pillows to pop out of on my bed like he did this morning.... and then they'll all be off to college and I'll have to pile up my pillows myself and that will just seem weird...

So, that was my morning.  It was a big one, but Noah is thrilled about preschool and I am thrilled for him.  He is going to have so much fun!

(And I have a sneaky suspicion that once I adjust, I will too!)