End of an Era

With the start of full time formal schooling we've ended the era of our firstborn home days and entered into living our lives through lunch boxes, school holidays and stains on white t-shirts.

I was not sure what to expect today but I think the outcome is the best I could have hoped for. On dropping Master 4 at school this morning I was told 'you can go when you want to mummy'. I was taking the lead from other parents and trying to hover around watching my son orientate himself with his new surroundings, noting whether he engaged in conversation with fellow students and what activities he delved into first. But this was cut short after a brief period of time with Master 4 clearly more confident and ready for school than we had given him credit for. I'm pleased that I was the one with tears brimming with both sadness and pride and not him. I am pleased that I am the one that was thinking about him all day and that quite likely he didn't give me a thought.

It seems that somehow, out of the last nearly 5 years of sleep deprivation, tears, screaming, tantruming (both him and us), toilet training, moving house, travelling overseas and interstate, laughter, fun and more we've raised a little boy who was happy to farewell us on his first day of big boy school with a brave confident and excited face. Im happy with where we are at.