The New 4's

This afternoon we went to the end of the year picnic at Little Man's preschool and I was hit with a revelation. When he first started attending this school he was in the 2's program and I used to watch the 4 year olds with admiration. They charged head long into the Fun Bus and were first in line to get on the fire truck and as the firefighters a million, if not always relevant, questions. They went and played by themselves without a parent dogging their footsteps or being dragged behind them. I laughed when I saw them sneak extra desserts when their parents were otherwise engaged. It was so hard to imagine Little Man ever achieving this type of independence but that day has come. He is now officially the new 4's class. At today's picnic he was an independent, excited, social 4 year old. He sat with me only long enough to eat and then he was off with his friends. I saw him palling around with each of his buddies on the playground or in the fun bus. Sometimes I would catch a glimpse of him with a drink or a dessert that I know I didn't give him and he would stop by to ask a quick question and then be off again. The firetruck pulled up and he was second in line to get on it and climbed in multiple times and even went and asked the firefighters how heavy the fire hose is and if they wanted to come to his house sometime to play. He walked around like he owned the playground and conversed with the other parents like they were his best friends telling one friend's mom that he even saw 169 dolphins at the beach. This time my admiration was for my own sweaty, excited, social 4 year old and it was amazing.

Not to be left out, Peanut played on the playground very well and independently but due to having to take some benedryl for allergic reactions to his bug bites he was a big on the cranky side and after playing in the 91 degree heat and eating every cookie in sight he went to sit in the air conditioned car for a while.

Sweet Pea slept in my arms/carrier strapped to me happily going from watching everything to zonked out in seconds. She is such a trooper! I hope that time goes very slowly and that I am able to live in the moment as much as possibly between now and when she is the new 4's class at school.