And Laundry to Do Before I Sleep...

I'll spare you the excuses for why I haven't blogged in way, way too long. Let's just say I've been an overworked blogger-slacker trying not to miss deadlines, or let the laundry pile up too high. Haven't missed a due date yet, but I can't say the same about the heaping pile of dirty clothes.

But alas, I'm back and while I can't promise a masterpiece post this time around, I can at least give you this adorable pic of J.J. rockin' out, and a couple of quick updates:

- We've officially entered the "why" stage... read my blog about it here. FYI: I was the Milestones blogger for GeoParent.com for the month of February -- check it out. See? I've been blogging, just not here. And I've actually just landed another paid blogging gig where I get to make fun of stupid stuff in the news from a parent's perspective. I'll let you know when it's up and running.

- I've enjoyed playing the "Easter Bunny" card for the past couple of weeks, as in "J.J., you have to listen to mommy because the Easter Bunny is watching to see if you're behaving." Pathetic, I know, but I'm milking it for as long as I can since I can't start playing the Santa card again until November. Hey, whatever works, right?

- J.J. is officially pre-registered for Pre-K. I say pre-registered because despite the hour and a half it took to fill out paperwork, that's only the first stage of getting him into the Catholic school program near my house. Next, I have to sit by the mailbox (it could be this week, or it could be as late as May, they said) and make sure I'm among the first 20 parents to rush over to the school to return the real registration form they mail out. It's like waiting for college acceptance letters all over again. Aarrggghhh...

- And, yes, you read right -- J.J. is starting Pre-K in the fall! I can't believe how fast he's growing up. He's really like a little kid now. Scratch that... he's like a short old guy. A snippet from a recent conversation:
Me: "J.J., wait one second and I'll get that coloring book out for you."
J.J.: "OK, mommy. In the meantime, I'll just play with this."
I truly forget I'm talking to a 3-year-old sometimes.

Well, it's been nice blogging for you again. In the meantime (see where he gets it from?), I'm going to play the "I need to get back to work" card. Back soon...

B-T-S Jitters

I always loved school, but I don't think I ever slept the night before that first day back after a long summer. What would my new teacher be like? Would my friends be in my class this year? Who would come back with a dorky haircut or looking really cute? Last night, I had one of those all-too-familiar tossing and turning nights.

I honestly didn't think I'd experience that anxiety again, but sending my 3-year-old off to school for the first time was nerve wracking to put it mildly. What if he screams inconsolably when it's time for me to leave him there? Will the teacher remind him to go potty (and if not, will he be brave enough to speak up)? How will he act with the other kids, and what if they're way more aggressive than he is? Ahh, school days.

But to my surprise, J.J. walked right in, marched into his classroom and started checking out the toy shelf. He paused to say hi to his new teacher, and quickly gave me a kiss. I hung around, filling the teacher in on J.J.'s potty habits, where I stashed his sippy cup in case he had trouble with the regular cup, etc. Then I walked back over and watched J.J. figure out a puzzle he pulled out and started working on. I reassured him that he would have a great day, but who was I reassuring? He was already too engaged to pay any attention to me. I snapped a couple of pictures and gave him another quick hug before I left for work and couldn't believe that he barely looked back up at me.

All of the stress leading up to this day was centered on the wailing he'd do, how he'd cling to my hand and beg me not to go. I had hardly prepared myself for just the opposite -- the teacher telling me everything would be OK. And it was... I'm just not so sure I'm OK with it.