On The Eve of Preschool

So Wesley’s first day of preschool is tomorrow! 

How did THAT happen?  Well, he’s still only three years old, and this is like, PRE-preschool, but still.  I know he’s totally ready for it, and it’s only two days a week for half a day (8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) so I guess it’s not like I’ll be sobbing or anything.  At least, I don’t think so!

I’m kind of a mix of excited and nervous… he’s a pretty outgoing little boy, but today when we stopped by for school pictures, he really kind of shut down.  He was burying his face in my legs and wouldn’t talk to any of the other kids in line, and he knew almost all of them.  Some of them had gone to daycare with him, some are kids of friends of ours.  He just didn’t quite know what to do.  I think tomorrow will be better, though… he LOVES his classroom, it is the same one they use for ECFE and we were also there for the Open House a couple weeks ago, so that will be familiar territory for him when we drop him off in the morning. 

I’ve got his backpack all ready and clothes laid out.  This is our first official "School Night!" and I’m actually pumped!  Let’s see if this feeling lasts!

Anyway today was school picture day and I was super excited to take him.  Even though I’m a photographer, there’s just something so classic about getting those traditional "in front of a backdrop" school pictures that I had every year as a kid, too.  I saw a bunch of moms there who had also brought babies and I kicked myself for not bringing Jasper, too!  Can you imagine little wallet sized photos of Jasper all spiffed up in a button down shirt! in front of one of those backdrops?  I die of cuteness and am TOTALLY taking him when they do re-take day in a couple weeks when the photographer will be back. 

Anyway, I took a couple "practice shots" on my cell phone before we left. 

Goofball.
 

He looks so little and so big at the same time… ::my heart::
 

Speaking of my heart, look who turned into a toddler overnight!!

I’ve been spending loads of time with my boys lately.  The other day, Nathan was harvesting in the fields all day so it was just the kids and I and we spent most of the day in the woods exploring!  I love the trails along the river behind our house, and we just hop in our little electric golf cart and go.  I love how quiet it is and easy to get around on.  Jasper sat on my lap and Wesley sat next to me.  We played some music on my iPhone and sang along and I just breathed in that sweet, fresh forest air.  It’s in between seasons, so you’ve got both the warmer weather and the cooler weather mixing together to make these quiet, still, pleasant afternoons with that crispness of fall.  The trees are so thick in some of the parts of the woods that you can’t even see to the other side.  They’re also so tall above that it feels like you’re in a cave or a tunnel of trees. 

I simply cannot get enough of it, and am so, so incredibly thankful that my boys can grow up here, with access to so many unspoiled acres of wilderness right out their backdoor.

We took turns swinging and taking pictures of each other–Wesley took this one of me!

Anyway–we’ve got a busy week ahead of us.  I’m sure I’ll have lots of pictures from Wesley’s first day!!