Lunchtime...

So today I ate lunch with Chris at his school. This was pretty neat because it normally won't happen (next year it will be completely different!). His lunchtime just happens to be at 12:05 and on Fridays I am lucky because our counselor picks my kids up from lunch recess (at 12:00) and then takes them to Library (at 12:30) so I take my kids to lunch at 11:40 and don't see them again until 1:00. Beautiful. It gives me the perfect opportunity to go eat lunch with my little man! I was excited to find this out!

So today we took that opportunity and Chris ordered me a lunch at the Primary School and I went over there to eat with him. It was so cute to walk with him through the line and watch him following the rules and the procedures and listening to him tell ME how to follow them!

When we got to his lunch table (his teacher was very sweet and arranged it so we could sit on the end and have a little more room...plus it was easier for me to get on and off the bench!), we sat down and proceeded to eat our lunch. He proudly showed me how he could open his milk carton and then said to me: "Mom? Do you want me to open your milk carton for you? You know...they can be kind of tricky." Well, how could I resist that? So he helped his old mom out and opened my milk carton for me...and the milk carton of a little boy across from him! So sweet!

While eating, I got to watch him interact with different kids who were sitting near us and other kids as they walked by to take their trays up and line up with their classes...he knew quite a few kids and I came to realize what a little boy he has become.

I left the school today with tears...after watching my little man walk down the hallway with his kindergarten class...a bubble in his mouth, holding his tiger tail (that's what they do to stay quiet and keep their hands to themselves in the hallway) and acting just like I always hoped he would when he entered school. It hit me today that this is it...he's not a toddler and he's not a preschooler...he is now one of the "big kids." The ones that go to school, make friends that I don't know and whose moms I don't know. Man...it was great to see and I was kind of sad to see it as well. But at the same time...at the end of the day...he was still my little guy who got off the bus, came to my classroom and just wanted his mom to snuggle him for a little while...while he drank his juice box and ate his goldfish....

I knew it would happen and I thought I had already experienced that the first day of school...but oh no. Today was the day...thank goodness for lunch!