A Really Great Moment

Hey- I know it has been a LONG, LONG time since I have written. With that said, I write, now.

I have had two really great moments in the last week..

I waited outside the school, watching all the parents gather to see the precious faces of their little ones burst out of the doors after the first day. Frankly, it was a tad bit chaotic. All the parents and their dogs, cats, and small children converged by the gate. As the clock ticked, the crowds moved forward. Pretty soon I could barely see the door.

The thoughts began to race, "Would my precious 1st-day-1st-grader be trampled by the big-confident-2nd-graders?" (Most 3rd-5th graders come out a different door!) "Would he get flustered when the sun blinded him and he could not find his mommy?" "Would my two pre-school girls get lost in the shuffle?"

Before long, Austin appeared, shielding the sun from his eyes with his arm. Our eyes connected and my girls yelled. "Austin!" He ran to me, wrapped his arms around me and said, "First grade is SO great! I LOVE it!"

Now, keep in mind, Austin does hug us, but it was not until recently that he started hugging more spontaneously. I still remember "teaching" him to hug Daddy when he left for work. We would say, "put your arms around Daddy and squeeze." Also, he does not always know how to connect to his emotions. We are helping him to recognize when he is feeling something and learn how to express it appropriately.

So for me, this genuine expression of joy was pretty great!

We then went out for "special drinks." He chose the Icees at Target!

Later we got ice cream to celebrate both him and Daddy finishing their first day in a new grade.

Life is good!