WHERE DID MY BABY GO?

Alex has started asking to help out with chores around the house. The day before we left for the beach we had way too much to do in way too little time. He offered to help us out by mowing the yard all by himself. For years, since he could sit up, he has mowed with Richard. First on top of Richard's shoulders, then he graduated to walking just infront of his dad and pushing on the lower bar of the mower. We were not sure what to say to his offer to help, but we thought we should not squelch his enthusiasm to work, and help. We said, "ok", he ran in the house and returned with long pants and his rain boots on. Richard started the mower, and off he went. The above picture was taken a full hour after the mower was initially started. We watched in awe as our little man pushed, pulled, struggled, sweated, and made his way around the back yard. We could not help but be struck by the in your face illustration of how time has almost silently snuck up on us and transformed our baby into a little boy!

Tomorrow he embarks on a whole new journey as that boy. He will go to school for the very first time. We both have been reduced to tears many times over the past week. He will out of the blue say, "Mom I think I am not ready to be away from you yet, maybe I will try school when I am older." I caught myself litterally holding myself down to the chair I was sitting in to keep myself from running to him in complete and utter agreement. It seems such a big step for a mother and a son who have barely left one another's sides. Yet, it seems so necessary for him to become the Alex he must. Richard perhaps put it best he said that he is so sad but at the same time he is so ready for him to go out into this world because he is just simply so proud of him.

So with a proud father and a prayerful mother our little man starts his educational journey tomorrow. It seems like so much more than just that to us, but perhaps this first day of school just serves as a marker that it goes too fast, and as an encouragement to keep absorbing it all as we try each and every day we have with them.