And Just Like That... He was a Big Kid

How did Noah, my first born little guy go from all cheeks and drool and hanging on my leg to saying, 'dude,' and 'are you kidding me?', playing air guitar to commercial jingles, swooning over Selena Gomez on the TV screen and shaking his money-maker to Rhianna songs with goofy little dances in his under-roos?

Yesterday was the first day of first grade. Kindergarten is still little. First grade is a child's official entrance to big kid-dom. First year with a locker. No more tables in class, he now has a big kid desk.

Noah was so ready. He couldn't decide whether to button the top button of his polo shirt. Buttoned up at home; right before we opened the door at the before-school program, he decided to unbutton it for a more stylish effect. He must have been reading GQ in the car on the way over. 'You, know, Mom, I used to have a girlfriend at school, but I'm not sure if she'll be back this year,' he says. 'What was her name?' I ask. 'Eh, I don't remember...,' says Noah. Well, at least she hasn't taken my place quite yet.

I gave him a pep talk during the car ride to daycare, asking kindly that he keep all of his school supplies in his backpack on the bus and wait until he got to class and the teacher asked the class to open their bags. I reminded him that his lunch was packed and how exciting it would be to see old friends and make new ones. My baby boy's beautiful blue eyes were wide with anticipation. I think that was mostly due to the admiration of his new spiffy tennis shoes - in his favorite hues, Browns colors.

So, off went my football-loving, mystery-girlfwriend-having, big kid first-grader with his new backpack overloaded with supplies and himself, brimming with school spirit. I teared up as I rushed down the steps at daycare to my car and caught a glimpse of a school bus chugging by... keeping his handsome little face in my mind's eye, I cursed the short summer and the quick vacation we spent together in June, and wished him the best first day of school ever, imagining that he still was hanging on my leg. I love you big guy.