Wow.
To say I’m pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.
A huge understatement.
And honestly, after 21 years of mothering, it’s kinda hard to surprise me.
But Jude? He did.
All morning he couldn’t wait for the bus to come. Over and over he asked if it was time to get dressed.
Time to pack his snack of Scooby-Doo fruit snacks and an apple juice box.
Honestly, I kept waiting for fear and/or anxiety about the reality of leaving home on a big yellow bus, to ride to someplace he’s only been to a handful of times, to spend an afternoon with a woman he’s only met twice, with a bunch of kids he’s never met, to grip him.
And for him to wrap his arms and legs around me and never let go.
But that never happened.
In fact, he waited expectantly for the bus to arrive. When it pulled up, he climbed up the big ol’ stairs, jumped up in the big ol’ seat and then,
he waved.
Suddenly, he looked way too tiny to be leaving my side.
And my heart almost burst. With love. With pride.
For all he’s endured.
For all he’s become.
For all he will certainly be.
Sob-sniffle-cry-cry-snot bugger, snot bugger. That was precious! Yay Jude!!!…and yay you!!
I, too, have mothered for 21 years, and I'm a little perplexed that I am now crying over someone else's child going to school. Thanks for that, Stefanie…
Go, Jude! What a brave little boy! And what a brave mom. 🙂
Super good…..
I hope you'll post someday on how you manage lunches & snacks, & homework with all of your school kids. I only have 2, we mange fine, but I find myself wondering an awful lot on HOW you possibly do it all???
I think going through everybody's bookbags & supervising homework, reviewing for tests must be a REAL challenge.
Be still my heart. That picture of him waving through the bus window almost did me in…
So many firsts for you this past week or so. Wow, your heart must tired. But happy!
Lovely to see all those smiling faces on your kiddos.
Have a wonderful holiday week-end!
The backpack totally cracked me up. I think it's bigger than he is!
Oh… it IS bigger than he is!! I was cracking up, too 🙂
Oh…I hope he had a wonderful day! I remember when you first brought him home. Such changes since then. Such amazing changes in a wonderful little boy!!
What a lovely story!
I too, felt the SAME way as I watched Sam (who could HARDLY lift his leg high enough to get ON the bus) happily head off to school with his siblings!!!
BITTERSWEET!
Love that bus photo with adorable Jude waving! Wondering what you do with all your precious photos. Mine are all stuck in the PC – I take too many and love too many! When you have time, can you do a post on what you do with your photos and how you display them and how you scrapbook them? Thank you! Need advice on how to stop drowning in digital photo abyss! Thank you!
So beautiful!!!! he has wings to fly!
Hope Jude had a wonderful first day. What a sweetheart he is. 🙂