Preschool

It was a bit of a weepy morning for this mama as we sent Matthew off to developmental preschool for the first time. He, of course, had no idea what was about to happen, so it was a relatively normal morning for our boy.

At a little after 8, I helped him into his shoes and jacket. His new Cookie Monster backpack fit snugly on his back (thank you, Grandma Russell) and he was all set.

His big brother and sister flanked him as we walked down the steps to the front sidewalk. There was enough time to take a few photos of the kids while we waited.

Matthew and Maya even had time for a short walk down the block and back as we passed the time.

Finally the bus arrived, and we all boarded it to get our boy settled. He wasn’t sure about the car seat, but willingly let me buckle him in and give him one final kiss. Then I climbed back to the sidewalk and we stood there waving as the bus headed toward Hawthorne Elementary.

 And of course this mama cried and cried and cried, long after her boy was gone.

This is such a good thing for Matthew—this developmental preschool experience—but this morning I felt acutely the many transitions our boy has sustained in his short life, transitions he has had NO choice in. While I know that this preschool setting is just what he needs in the next step of his learning and development, for him it was something else that pulled him from his family.

I just got off the phone with his teacher, Miss Debbie, who told me Matthew actually had a really good morning and participated in several of the activities with the rest of the class. She had anticipated things being much harder than they were. I’m excited to know that tomorrow the routine may feel a little familiar, and as the days and weeks go on, the bus ride and the classroom will be part of Matthew’s regular routine.

We made it over another hump with our boy, and it will be fun to see what this next stage of life brings for him.