Winding Down

At times it feels as if this kindergarten year has flown by. The first day of school was yesterday. And yet I am grateful for this blog, because the other night I went back and read some old posts from the beginning of the year and it felt like a million years ago. It's helping me appreciate the passing of time.

Our routine is second nature. Homework is no longer a novelty. New friends are now familiar playmates. I mentioned to Baxter that I saw his former preschool teacher at a workshop I gave on Monday and he didn't recognize the name any longer. Tonight, as I was folding laundry, it registered that more than half of those nice new pants I bought him for school now have enormous holes in the knees and will neither be worn in 1st grade nor saved for Lyle.

The school year is starting to wind down. And yet Baxter loves it as much (or more) than ever. He wakes up excited and enthusiastic about going to school as if it were the first day. On weekends he groans about having to stay home. Every afternoon we stay at school and play for half an hour on the playground because he has no interest in leaving.

I cannot keep track of his friends at all. I took the kids to a playground near the school this afternoon and about 20 kids who go to after-school care at Jefferson showed up there to play. "Baxter! Baxter! Baxter!" - one by one, nearly all 20 of these Asian kindergartners screamed out his name, so happy for this extra play time with him. I actually felt like I was witnessing a rock star on tour (maybe a white rock star arriving in China?!) and it was delightful.

There is still a month left of school, but I am afraid it will go by quickly. Baxter is confused about what the point of a summer vacation is - after all, what could be better than school? - but I'm genuinely excited for my summer at home with the kids and he is getting there, too. Although I know he will be sad to leave Jefferson and say good-bye to his friends next month, he frequently says with Baxteresque zeal, "I can't WAIT to move to Chicago!" and "I can't WAIT to go to Burley School", so I think he'll do just fine.