His next adventure.

This post has been a long time coming and a weird one to write. It's sat in my drafts and has barred me from blogging. No matter how hard I've tried, I get emotional and the words just don't flow quite how I want them to. Here's me trying to keep it short and sweet:

August 28th, 2012. Pre-k day 1. Emerson embarked on his next daring adventure. His first step into what will be a long relationship with education. Likely to be interesting, maybe a little bumpy, but he's ready for it. We counted down the days together. His eagerness grew day by day. At first, I wasn't so eager. When I told him that I'd miss him, he assured me that he'd be having fun and that meant I shouldn't be sad. It was enough for me. He jumped right in and is thriving. He's involved, outgoing, and ahead of his curve. He made friends right away; even gained a best bud or two. He focuses, listens, and even answers questions. We're so proud! We had our reservations about putting him in the pre-k class and in a "formal" school environment at all. He's a year early. He's very full of energy, sensitive, and brilliantly unique- not always the optimal characteristics according to some institutions, but some of our favorite parts about him. Now, over a month in, I'm confident that we made the right decision for him in our choice of schooling method, school, and timing. It's a relief. Emerson has been having a blast- a field trip to see reptiles, a snack time picnic, a class pet named Scout. Listening to his school-day anecdotes as soon as we pile in the car is one of my new favorite daily routines. This has been a life-changer for us, but now that we're in the swing of things, we're loving the new dynamic and momentum.

"There he goes." ... It's something I find myself saying daily. There's no pretending he's not growing up now.