Yesterday, Elijah and I visited his new preschool. He was a rockstar. I lifted him up to ring the door bell, and he held my hand as we were lead to his classroom. The children were finishing their music class and there was alot of commotion. Elijah warily surveyed the scene and opted to keep his distance. Snack time was next on the agenda, and we really lucked out in that department. It was little Rachel's birthday and her Mom had brought cupcakes for the class. The kids eagerly washed their hands and raced to their little blue seats. After washing his hands at the pint-sized sink, Elijah made his way to the tables. A cheerful girl with curly red hair asked if Elijah would sit next to her. He thought about it for a moment, but I think the girl's exuberance was a little much for him. He eventually found a spot next to a quiet boy, and stood beside the chair for some time. I fought the urge to slip my hands beneath his arms and slide him onto the seat. I tried to be patient. When he finally climbed into the seat, I smiled from the inside out. The promise of gooey frosting had prevailed, and my little boy had willingly sat at a table of strangers. Amazing.
After cupcakes, the class headed out to the school's cool playground. By now, Elijah was all smiles. Climbing the equipment, letting a girl give him a hug and blowing kisses to his teachers when it was time to say goodbye.
Today was another special day. I start work tomorrow, and today was my last day home with Elijah. I usually hate to wake up early, but today was different. In an effort to make the day last as long as possible, I actually set my alarm clock to ensure an early start. For breakfast, Elijah and I made a puffy oven pancake. He helped dump the ingredients into the mixing bowl and cracked an egg for the first time. When the pancakes were ready, I let him cover his plate in a flurry of powdered sugar.
It was a rainy day, so we decided to visit the nearby Nature Museum. The museum is famous for its butterfly haven, but Elijah's favorite part has always been playing in the (over-priced) photobooth. This time, we actually had our picture taken and Elijah couldn't wait to see the strip of grainy images. On the way home, Elijah used his new umbrella as a walking stick/pointing device. "What's that!?" he'd inquire. The answer was usually "goose poop!" and Elijah found this hysterical. "Smushy-gushy-stinky goose poop!" I said. Squeals of delight. By the time we reached our street, we were damp and cold nosed. We grabbed a slice of pizza and headed home for nap time.
Before nap, we read "The Kissing Hand," by Audrey Penn. The story is simple. Chester raccoon is hesistant about starting school, and his Mommy teaches him the secret to keeping the warmth of home with him all the time. Elijah loved it, and it nearly brought me to tears. I purchased the book to help with Elijah's transition to preschool, but sometimes I think that I am the one who needs reassurance. 
