Proud Mama

This morning when I took Parker to daycare he blew me away with how smart he is. I mean I have always known that he is bright and catches on for his age but he has gained so much more knowledge since the moved him into the prekindergarten class at his daycare. Miss Mary, his teacher, is amazing and they have a great relationship which is comforting to know that he has someone he trusts fully there, but he was showing me some things around the classroom like the Praying Manitis that we fed crickets to, the catepiller that Liam's mom found and he told me how it was a cacoon now and will soon be a butterfly, then we went to the back "circletime" area. On the bulletin board were flash cards of the solar system. The first one had all the planets on it and Parker goes up to it and says, "Mommy, see this blue one? This blue one right here? (pointing with his finger) This is Earth. This is where we live." I was wowed. Then Miss Mary pointed to the next card. "What is this Parker?" "Um, a big ball of fire (looks up at me and smiles)." "Yes," says Miss Mary, "but what is it called?" "Um, the Sun." Then she points to the next card, "and this one?" "That's Mercury." "And this one?" "Venus." AMAZING! "And what's this one?" she askes pointing to another card. "Umm, the Milky Way."

It was one of those parenting moments that makes your heart fly out of your chest, but yet bittersweet. I used to be the person that taught him most of what he learned. I doubt I would be better than his teachers, because they are wonderful. School is around the corner and he is entering the stage in life where parents have less control over the influences of their child. This scares me but today he made me so proud. He is amazing and creative and one of the best people to be involved in a conversation. When you are doing the parenting things alone the frustrating times seem like they take over and they are all that exist. The past few weeks have been a cloud of frustrating moments, but then they do something that cuts through the irritation and bad behavior and temper tantrums and timeouts and it hits you in the face with how amazing and beautiful they are, reminds you that they get frustrated with you as much as you do with them, they they see our bad behavior and have to deal with it as well. It brings you back to an equillibrium and makes you a better parent.

Anyone who has met Parker knows how special he is and how wonderful. He is definately the kind of kid that you meet and fall in love with immediately. And now I wish I wasn't at work and could go to the park. I think I will leave early today.