BEING READY

Canadian weather, what a fickle thing. We never really had much of a summer with the constant fluctuation between sunny and warm to cold and rainy. It mostly resembled late spring but after the debacle that was winter I was up for anything that wasn’t deep freeze, snow and ice. I am ready to transition into fall and welcome warm sweaters, leather boots and the start of school!

This year I am looking forward to sending both of my boys with backpacks attached and lunch bags in hand. Lucas is particularly excited to be starting Junior Kindergarten, boasting his “big boy” status to anyone and everyone that will listen. He’s no longer “Little”, once upon a time he had accepted being called “medium” by his older brother, but now he’s “big” and he’s owning it like he should. Parts of me want to grab him and squeeze him and nuzzle him and snuggle him until he begs me to stop but he is growing up.

 

Joshua? That a whole other bag of craziness! I’m expecting more of him these days. He helps me in the kitchen on the weekends and he helps me with his laundry because one day I will expect him to do it all by himself. He ditched “baby” cartoons and now opts for My Babysitter’s a Vampire and other kid shows that feature teenagers in live action. He will start second grade! There is a benefit to being the first born; I have no desire to baby him for the rest of his life. I welcome his increased independence with a bring it on attitude. After all I have a much smaller human who fills that void for the time being. I wonder if that’s why the oldest child is supposedly “natural leaders” because we as parents are able to let them go with more easy and we are perfectly fine to watch them evolve as we clinging on to our designated baby.

 

Whether I choose to be ready, whether I ‘m not, it doesn’t matter because it isn’t about me anyways. It’s about them. And if I’m being honest with myself then I would just admit it, they are ready.