Growing up

One day, it just sort of hits you, that your little baby is all grown up -- at least into a fun-loving, vibrant preschooler. Tomorrow Natalie will be a full-time preschooler at daycare, following two weeks of gentle transition. But she's ready and has been asking to go to preschool for several months. She's like a kid seeing Disney World for the first time, just shaking with excitement. She strides into the classroom with zero hesitation, marching right up to new friends to see what they're doing.

Natalie also completed parent-child swim classes this week at MSUM. Next session, she'll be on her own, with other preschoolers tied carefully with swimming noodles and waving to their parents from the pool. She just beams with pride and even told me to take her completion certificate to work to hang up. I convinced her we should display it in her new room instead.

Natalie's also in her preschooler bed at night now, with no guard rail, just a couple of landing pillows on the ground. She walks to her bed herself, climbs in, fluffs the blanket and covers herself up. With a few threats of taking away books or babies, she's even pretty good about staying in bed all night.

And least she's not too old, or big, for a nighttime hug and kiss for mom.