Cutting the Cord.

I'm home.

I finally cut the cord and just left my baby in second grade.

Each year on his first day I stick around for a while, make sure he's adjusting well, answer any questions I can, help new staff understand the quirks.  Each year I think my stay gets a little shorter and a little shorter.

He still has his wonderful ed tech, this is her third year working with him now.  I can't imagine what kind of helicopter mom I would be without her.  She provides him so much stability and comfort.

I took such care packing his bag this morning, checking everything over and over again. So much stuff for a little guy to have to carry around.  He always manages though.

I watched his excitement as he realized this is the year he gets to play on the big kid playground, the same one Corbin has been on for a couple of years now.  I watched him run right in the middle of a kickball game and watched his brother gently guide him out of harm's way.

I watched him lead his class into his new room, with a little hesitation as he thought about heading back to his 1st grade room.  I watched him easily find his hook and his seat and put away all of his things.

I watched him color, cut, and write.  I watched him do his art project his own way, no need to follow the boring normal way.

I watched him get his backjack chair for circle and still slump down like a wet noodle.

I watched him go with his class to art.  I watched him obsessively stop at every water fountain (even though he's not suppose to) and do a sort of tap dance down the hall so his new shoes could touch every single different colored tile there was.

Most of all I watched his affect.  And he's happy.  He is really happy to be at school.  That is all I really needed to see.

Here's to hopefully an awesome year!!  It already seems to be starting off better than the last.

And I'm just pretending I don't remember the kid laughing at him when he needed help knowing what to write on the back of his art project today.  Karma, baby.  Karma.