Where Does the Time Go?

I suppose it's a mommy rite of passage. Our children grow up and we're left to marvel at how quickly it has happened. Yesterday, my youngest started 3yo preschool. He was enthusiastic and couldn't wait to go to "cool." I was looking forward to it as well, keeping my fingers crossed that the moment of separation wouldn't be a difficult one. We attended orientation a week ago, so he had seen the classroom and its plethora of toys. He knew a few of his 11 classmates. As is always the case, we arrived at 8:30 - not a moment too soon with his bag and cute little snack sack in tow. I helped him find his seat. He was quiet and smiling sheepishly, taking everything in. The teacher acknowledged his arrival cheerfully and plastered his "Prince Charming" tee-shirt with a cute little name tag. Waiting at his seat was a basket of colorful wooden beads ready to be strung together. To my dismay, the child who was to sit next to Cohen was in full melt-down mode, crying and clinging to his mom. I acted as if I saw nothing in order to avoid a duplication of the scene on our side of the table. Cohen happily went to work stringing beads and I told him I was going to go, that I would be back to get him in a short time. For a moment, I saw it --- the "No!!" came into his eyes and he turned to grab me, but I continued. "You're gonna stay and play and eat your snack." To my relief he agreed and went back to playing. Before he could change his mind, I quickly snuck away but as mommies tend to do, I looked back at him. He was watching me as I walked away with this sweet uncertainty. He looked so big and yet so small. I picked up the pace so that I could make it out of the building before the tears fell. Our children grow and make us so proud, but we mourn for the babies we once held. It was a mommy moment I'll never forget.

Here he is with his first preschool project.