So Big, And Yet Still So Small

Last night was the kindergarten spring "concert." I think it was called Spring and Sing, or something like that. For several weeks Finn has been singing the songs for the show. "It's been a great Y-E-A-R, YEAR!" Very cute. Those kinders were up there rockin' out and doing the moves the music teacher had practiced with them.

There was a brief incident when the show had to be stopped for some out-of-control kindergarten behavior, but all's well that ended well.

So as I was watching Finn up there on stage, I was reminded of how impossibly young my boys still are. That sounds weird because I also reflect constantly about how I could be old enough to have a 9-year old and how he's growing, but I've decided that my view of them is so distorted because I see them every day. It's only when I look back that I think, "Wow, they were so little."

Case in point:

Declan's first day of preschool. I was so excited for this day for him. He seemed SO grown up. He was 3 years, 5 months old. I just counted that up on my fingers to be sure.



There he goes, marching into school with his best friend at the time, Ellie (they always talked about getting married on the drive to and from school.). They're holding hands.

Looking back, I think he was actually somewhat traumatized by the whole thing. When we had gone to the pediatrician's office earlier in the summer, the doctor (the best pediatrician in the world, Michael Loar, office in Dublin should any of you in Central Ohio need a pediatrician) talked to Declan about potty training. Dr. Loar said, when you stop wearing diapers you'll be a big boy and go to preschool. Declan informed Dr. Loar he didn't want to be a big boy. In fact, for a time Declan used to always tell me he wouldn't be going to college because he wanted to stay home with me forever. I haven't heard that for awhile.




Anyway, my point here is that he seemed so grown up at the time.

Same thing with kindergarten. . .

First day of kindergarten in Ohio.


He just got on the bus! Alone! Of course, Ellie was on there, but they didn't get to sit together. I remember having a lot of angst about my kid just getting on the bus and driving away. . .to the school that wasn't even a mile from the house but the kids had to ride the bus because there weren't any sidewalks along the country road to the school.


Coming home. Exhausted.

Declan has just always been so capable, which is why I was surprised that the transition to first grade in Colorado was hard. I feel bad now that I didn't prepare him more. Again, so grown up.

But now I look at this picture of the first day of school in Colorado and realize he still looks so small:



First day of second grade:


First day of third grade:


Things have really clicked for Declan this year. This has been his first year since preschool that he has been at the same school two years in a row. And we just found out today that his third grade teacher is moving up to fourth grade and he can stay with her if he would like. He has already said yes. In this day and age, they call this process "looping." I spent grades 1 - 3 with the same teacher. Which perhaps explains why I am so loopy.

When Finn was about 10 months old, I took this picture of him with Declan. Declan is three. And when I saw this picture, I never guessed that I'd look at Finn and think that he was small.


Good grief. He's a giant. I think this whole post was pointless.