Anthony's First Day of Preschool!!

Today was Anthony's first day of preschool and the start of a whole new journey for all of us. We prepared last night and all woke up early for the big day. Although hectic, it was kind of neat that we all worked together to make it out the door to drive the 35 minutes to the North Shore Education Consortium. We were greeted with all the excitement that new beginnings bring. Anthony's teacher took a family picture and had all the children in the class say hello to their new friend. Gianna spoke so kindly and nurturing to him as she wheeled him around. And before we knew it it was time to say goodbye. I knelt down and kissed him on the forehead and said, "have fun at school buddy! Can you say bye to me?" He turned his head away and wouldn't look at me! He knew something was very different and I could tell he didn't quite know what to make of it. So just like that we were out the door. In the lobby Gianna got teary and said "I'm going to miss him!"..my sentiments exactly! How precious coming from her! I shed a few tears myself when we got to the car. Our life for 2 and a half years has been full of Early Intervention therapies...5-6 per week. I have sat in on nearly all of them. And now, I will be dropping Anthony off for 5 hours a day, five days a week. Life certainly is going to change. It's funny how change often happens at the appropriate time. Anthony's been getting bored at home and I've been finding it more of a challenge to keep him entertained. He is so ready for this next step. I've felt the need for more therapies for awhile now, and he'll get that at school. While he's there I'll also have a chance to spend more less-divided time with Gianna (and Leo). All of it is very, very good. It's just so bittersweet. Babies grow up, needs change, and the role of motherhood evolves. I am thrilled to see my little guy thrive. When I picked Anthony up he was looking at a book with his teacher and his new friends were giving him toys to play with. He was so happy and engaged, he barely noticed my arrival. It's not always easy to let go (a little!) and maybe even harder when your child has special needs. But boy is it amazing to know that they are thriving, growing, learning and loved. Isn't that what truly matters most?