Enjoying Preschool Life in the Fall

I love back to school time in the fall. I always have. I look forward to everything about it. I love getting supplies, new clothes and class schedules, just everything. My almost 3 year-old, Jude, started preschool yesterday. He has been waiting to go to "Sissy's school" for almost a year now. We would drop Sissy off last year and he would run right into the gym with the other kids and pick up a ball. Come time to leave, he would trail behind me to the car, heavy-footed and sad-faced. "Next year I get to go to Sissy's school," he would say; as if he even knew what "next year" really meant.

Of course in getting prepared for this year, I talked it up to him a lot too. But I really didn't have to; he was excited enough all on his own. It's as if he was making sure I was okay with the thought of him leaving me for a few hours when he kept repeating, "I'm gonna go in, then I'm gonna say bye Mom."

"Ok, Bubba. Mommy knows," I would reassure him. Knowing he just needs that validation. Like everyone else in this world, the little guy just wants to be heard.

He had a blast at preschool and didn't stop talking about it all day. Sissy, Jude's 4 year-old big sister Gabby Rae, started pre-k today, and he couldn't help but to interrupt her when she tried to describe her day as well. The boy just can't contain his excitement! Gabby is a little more reserved and needs time to warm up to things before she jumps in. Even having gone to preschool at the same school last year she needed some time.

Gabby is at an age where she remembers most everything. She remembers going to school last year, remembers her friends from class. She remembers cheering at the high school football games last fall. I asked her if she wanted us all to go to the football game tonight, and she started spouting off all kinds of details about last year's games.

Football season is a great symbol of fall. After this heat wave we've been having, I have very much been looking forward to wearing a hoodie and jeans at a football game. Confession: I usually don't even pay attention to the game. But I love the atmosphere and everything else that goes along with it like the band, cheerleaders and socializing. And the kids have such a good time.

The start of school, football season and cooler weather are also indicators that it is getting closer to time for our new addition. Not just to our house, but more so to our family. I am getting anxious to meet this new "Small" guy who's nudges are becoming a lot more noticeable in my belly. I have finally wrapped my brain around the idea of having a third child (as much as one can before it actually happens) and am ready to hold this baby in my arms already! Sometimes pregnancy seems to drag on forever. And I'm only in month 6!

This fall, the Small family is very busy learning and discovering at preschool, adding on to our house, and growing a new life. But we're not too busy to take a step back and breathe it all in, enjoy each other and enjoy our daily little life experiences as well as the big ones.