Ivan the Great

Wonderful, wonderful children. I honestly think they were put on this earth just so adults can learn from them. We have three children and you would think by the third one I would know exactly what to do and how they will react, NOT!


Ivan (the great or terrible) went to preschool today for the first time. I didn't think he was ready in the fall because of potty training accidents and I just wasn't ready to let him go yet. Now he is more than ready to bolt out the door.


We started the new year off right sending him on the first Monday of the brand new year. I tried to teach him a few things on my own at home throughout the fall and I was "Mrs. Mommy", so of course he wants to use that against me only because he is feeling insecure. For the past two weeks he did not want to go and said he wanted to go to school with Mrs. Mommy. My husband and I, and grandma talked it up and made it sound sooo good. We took him passed the school and even tried to take him to the sitter at church and he screamed and would not let me leave without him. His sister was even there. He did NOT want to stay.


This is a little boy that I say will be someones boss one day. He is very strong-willed, can figure anything out on his own and is very smart. He knows his ABCs when HE wants to say them and can build anything and play with anybody. He is a very outgoing boy and not shy at all.


My oldest girl was very shy and I knew what to expect. My second oldest boy was just like Ivan but I didn't have any trouble getting him to go places. Needless to say, I was nervous to let him go and his attitude could be either great or terrible when I got there. I didn't know what to expect.


The morning went really well and he was excited and took a bath and everything was great. He talked about the toys and all the fun he will have. I took pictures and he was all excited, then it hit him. "Is my sister going to be there? No, you are a big boy. Then he balled. I love you soooo much mommy and I love gramma. I don't wanna go." This kid knows how to play me but I didn't cave. You have to go and you will be fine. I changed the subject and we went to the store to get one thing before we went to school. He was still crying. I told him, do you want mommy to cry. No. We went into the store and he was fine again. His normal self. He told the lady at the counter "I'm going to school today". He continued to have a nice conversation with her. He loves people.


Then we got to the school. I didn't say a word because I didn't want to jinx anything. He said, "are we here?" I said, "Yes, Ivan, are you ready?" "Yep." He followed two other girls in the door, running, and went into the wrong room. I let him do the talking and the other teacher led him to where he needed to go. She knew his grandma Shirley so he was all smiles then. He took off his jacket and started playing with the toys and talking to his teacher. I said "bye, Ivan, I'll pick you up when school is over." I turned around and didn't look back. He did great and now he tells people everything that he did at school with excited, drug out sentences of ABC'sssss, oreossssss, funnnnnn and on and on and on. I am one happy mom.


From a mom's standpoint, if he would have cried it would have been hard. I know this happens with all kids and I have two older ones, but with your last child you come home and the house is empty and filled with mixed emotions. I am very happy though because at this point if he would not have been okay with it, my empty nest syndrome would have been a lot harder to handle. Now, I can come home and enjoy my house and do the things that I need to do without the guilt.


To all mom's, hang in there and be calm and patient. Everything always turns out and it is just hard to go through. I feel like a first time mom again, but every kid is different so I kind of am. . . . .