Henry goes to school.

We did it.


















Last Tuesday, Henry woke up around 7:15 without a fuss (he's a 9:00 sleeper most days), ate his breakfast well, and let me 'make him handsome' - that's what we call brushing our teeth and hair around the Chesshouse. He put on his new school shirt - creases ironed into the arms nicely, I might add - and was as giddy as a schoolgirl boy to get to his classroom.

The plan was for me to take the H-man while daddy kept James at home. We thought the whole family driving to the first day of school might overwhelm Henry or make him sad that he didn't get to come home with us. As we were leaving, though, he asked if 'my daddy and my Jamesies could take me to school, too.'

And just like that, the first day of school became a family outing.

I had been nervous for months (okay, maybe years) about how this would go for our sweet boy. He hasn't always mixed well with other kiddos, and he has never been fond of going into the care of strangers. When we toured the preschool in February last year, I chewed my nails to the quick worrying about if he would ever be able to do this. At that point, we were in the throes of the infamous two-year old resistance, and I honestly believed he would be sent home the first day with a note that read something like, "We're sorry, but your son just isn't preschool material." heehee. I registered him anyway - on a hope and a prayer, y'all. Oh, the minds and hearts of mothers.

Well, as the months passed, it seemed like we were turning a corner. Isn't that how it always is with parenting? Just when you get yourself nice and freaked out that your kid has issues, it all works out just fine...until the next thing comes along. When will we learn, moms? Anyway, back to turning that corner -- by his third birthday this past July, he was a new man. I mean, completely different from how he had been any month prior. He wanted the company of other children. He enjoyed walking into his Sunday school class (this was a 2-year battle, guys). He asked for the kids he met at parks and playgroups to come over to our house. He started sharing his toys. A new man.

Holy moly, not a moment too soon, we just might be ready.

We arrived a few minutes before class was to begin, so we made a trip to the bathroom together. We had a short talk while washing his hands about being kind to the other children and obeying Ms. Patty and Ms. Allison. He listened carefully and told me he would be a nice boy to everyone. With that, he was ready to head in.

And, head right in, he did, my friends. He bound happily into the room and started playing with a few other kiddos who were already in there. I felt bad even grabbing his attention to say goodbye, because he seemed to have already forgotten that I was anywhere around. I did it anyway.

"Bye, Henry -- mommy will be back in a little while, okay?" He replied without looking up by waving his hand and saying into the toy he was holding, "alright, see ya later, mommy!!"

And, just like that, all of my first day of school anxiety melted away. I walked out to Jared and James waiting in the car with the biggest smile on my face, proudly returning the thumbs up that Jared was questioningly giving me from the front seat. As I climbed in, Jared and I gave each other a high-five with the wide-eyed realization just setting in..."we've got one in school."

We did it. We all did it.