It's official... and it takes my breath away.

I knew the letter was waiting for us in our mailbox; my friend told me so this morning. But as I held the envelope in my hands, I didn't want to open it. The letter reads (in part), "your child will be attending the afternoon session (of kindergarten)." It's not as if I didn't know this; after all, I was there at enrollment! But, today I am not ready.

I have recently discovered that it's true, time does fly when you're having fun. Our summer schedule is packed with activity - a week at soccer camp, a week at VBS, a week of vacation, weekly junior golf during the month of July, the bike-a-thon, two neighborhood summer parties, another week of soccer camp (he loved the first week so much he asked to do it again!), the beginning of soccer season, and then the first day of school! It is going too quickly and we are having too much fun. I don't want it to end. I have enjoyed seeing him all day every day.

Zach is learning, growing and maturing more every single day. Just today he asked me if he could take himself to his VBS class, which I'm pretty sure is against the rules for the kids his age. So, I allowed him to walk way ahead of me so he'd feel like he was all alone -- he came back to kiss me goodbye as soon as he reached his classroom door! He is pulling away, but snaps back as if attached by a rubber band. We have had some independence and discipline issues over the past few weeks. I suspect it's all a part of growing up; him wanting boundaries further out and me wanting them to stay where they've always been. I know the boundary move (and his independence) is inevitable, but today the thought just takes my breath away. Kindergarten is his first really big step into this world of independence and it's one that I cannot take with him.