Gideon James,
You are 45 pounds and 4 years of awesome. Independent, loud, cuddly, freakishly coordinated awesome.
For weeks, you asked daily… multiple times daily… when we were going to Colorado. Colla-Waddo. If it wasn’t Codda-Wado, it was camping. When we were camping or in Codda-Wado, you wanted to know what we were doing next. Last night, with a mouth full of toothpaste, you told me again you wanted to go home.
You ARE home, Love.
Oh. I mean Texy. I want to go to Texy and DRIVE. MINES. TRACTOR.
Buddy.
You have always wanted to be where you are not. On to the next thing. Over the next hill. Fast as you can. Nothing to ninety in less than a minute.
And now it is time for school.
Just a little bit of school.
Three times a week for a couple hours each day you will jump into science and painting and Bible stories and new books and field trips and fire alarms. You are going to love school, Gideon James. They have endless art paper and a jungle gym and A BUS! They have kids your age and PLANNED ACTIVITES, son. They are ready and waiting for you.
You told everyone you know, and a few bank tellers and nurses you didn’t, that you would be riding a bus to Rylie’s school this year. All true. You have a backpack and new superhero shirts. You will only wear baseball (read: slippery) shorts, but we’ll deal with winter later. When asked what you were most looking forward to, you answered, “Snack time. AND the water fountain.”
You ask the absolute best questions. I am so excited for you to begin learning things that haven’t even occurred to you yet.
What am I hoping you’ll learn at school?
vocal restraint at appropriate times
bathroom etiquette
to wait for others
home is safe
your parents do not know everything
it’s ok to grow big
non-moshing dance moves
actions have consequences
mom will always be waiting for you
I will never, ever forget seeing you walk in a line returning from recess yesterday. All the parents were milling around the classroom door, waiting anxiously for their Littles to come back from their first day.
You didn’t see me sitting there on the floor with Abby. You were so calm… serious, even?… and CUTE there towards the back. I couldn’t help but whisper-yell, “Gid! Hey, Bud!” And you heard me and you spun around and you found me and you ran and tackled me without a word. Then, as quick as you came, you ran back to your place in line, entered your classroom, and wrapped up your day.
That 30 seconds kind of made my life.
I got to see you before you saw me…
and you were just fine.
You would have been just fine had you not seen me until the official dismissal. But, you were fine AND you were thrilled to see me. I could not ask for anything more.
I’m your biggest fan, Gus Man.
Your absolute, biggest fan.
Apple pie, anyone? 