A different kind of Tuesday

I dropped off my boys today at school. I've dropped them off numerous times over the years--I've been bringing Garrison for three years and Simon for two. This was different.

Today was kindergarten. Kindergarten. Real school. Every day. For three hours.

I've been the most important person in Garrison's life for the past six years. We go together. I've been the most important person in Simon's life for almost 3 years. We go together. Mom and her boys. Pre-school teachers were nice and wonderful and kind and taught great stuff. Letters, numbers, seasons. . . all good stuff. All stuff that I've taught them as well.

Today, Laura Zondervan will become a very important person in the lives of my boys. They will never be the same because they are with her. She will teach them how to read. She will teach them math. They are going to talk about history and science. They will celebrate God's Word together. She will be with them every day. She will go together with them. She gave ME a poem and a sucker today. It was a poem that talked about how she knows that us parents have been with our kids for many years now and she wanted to assure us that she'll love our kids every day. We could feel safe relinquishing our kids into her care. I'm so thankful. And I like her.

Know what else happened today? We were all in the classroom looking at our hooks, hanging up our backpacks, and finding our seats. Lots of parents and lots of kids. I was taking various pictures. One child was crying. Lots of parents were with their child at their desk. Most kids were coloring a picture. My boys dove right in. They were coloring away and as I stood there gazing at my little men, Garrison looked up and me and said with a wave, "Adios mom" and then went back to work.

Gary and I have done it. Don't get me wrong, we have so much more that God wants us to do in the lives of our kids, but when I got home Gary and I celebrated that we are doing what God wants us to do. We are raising our kids to be on their own. I'm not raising them so that they stay here. "Adios mom" Adios Garrison and Simon.