James and preschool...oh yeah.

I waffled a bit, debating whether James and I really needed/wanted preschool to start this semester. He and I get along well. We have routines. It's fine.

*sigh*

But I finally decided that James would benefit from the structure, the social interaction, and the various kinds of play/learning that I don't have energy to manage at home (shaving cream painting? journal writing? songs and finger plays?). Both of us would benefit from a little more independence, too...I had hoped. He's only a couple months younger than Robert was when he started preschool. It's that crazy fall birthday that throws everything off.

Well, today was his second day at preschool and wow!...

No wonder lunch got so quiet all of a sudden...

...it's exhausting. But he LOVES it. He was only the slightest bit uneasy the first day when he was learning the routine. Today, though, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and got to work driving toy cars through shaving cream mountains. Miss Julie tells me he was raising his hand to answer questions during rug time, AND he used the bathroom COMPLETELY alone. Pardon all my capital letters. I'm thrilled with this news because James hasn't "been able" to remove his own shoes or put on his own underpants in the bathroom for weeks. He has slipped into bathroom dependence. 

So, today, my favorite reason to love preschool is the independence factor. I am a better mom when I see how I've been enabling my kids' dependence with my low expectations :) James is such a capable guy!

And I have found those few hours at home with just Matthew to be delicious. So, so, quiet. So much attention for the babe who gets no attention. And he naps for part of it, too. Sweet quiet time for my harried brain.

I will probably miss the kids' noise when it's gone.

I will probably long for the days when they fought over who would sit next to me.

I may even come to forget the rough bits that make me wonder all over again why the heck I'm doing any of this.

Until then, I will take these quiet(er) mornings twice a week and relish them.

Why? Why? WHY?! Because he's a puppy dog, of course.