My little guy started pre-school last week. I thought I'd be a little upset, but strangely, I was very cool with it. For whatever reason, I sort of mourned his ripe age of four a few weeks ago when his big sister started fourth grade. I was already lamenting the start of kindergarten 2012 a whole year prematurely. That sadness made me see very clearly that if left in his current daytime environment, he would not be ready to start school.
I prayed, begged, and put out as many feelers as I could to find a pre-school, or at least someone who would work with him on the basics. An answer came quickly, much to my amazement and delight, and he is now in week two of a stimulating, encouraging environment. My husband and I saw immediate changes in him:
- He's calm.
- He has an interest in sitting down to draw, write, and color.
- He has always been inquisitive, but his questions are becoming more mature and thoughtful.
- His attention span seems longer as it appears he has learned how to focus, somehow.
- He now has patience that he didn't have before.
How can all of this be? I can only say that God's hand is in it. From the circumstances of who his teacher is and a history our daughter's share, to the Christian learning environment I longed and prayed for, to the refinement of my son's behavior, that's the only explanation there is. It was time, and the Lord provided.
So now for something super cute. My little guy is sitting here with me, coloring away. Abruptly, he stopped coloring and I could feel him looking at me. I looked up and he said, "if you eat too much, you get a baby in your belly." I stifled a laugh and asked who told him that (assuming it was something crazy his big sister passed along), and he said it was the four-year-old girl he's attending pre-school with. Those two must be having some deep conversations!
With a Joyful Heart,
