Kindergarten.

The transition to kindergarten has been, like I'm sure it is with all kiddos and parents, rife with ups and downs. A little shaky for the first week followed by excitement followed by the realization that he has to get up every day and be away from home. We're currently in that third stage: our kid hates kindergarten. The honeymoon is over and he's facing the long grind of school for the rest of his childhood.

Well, we haven't laid it out quite like that. He also doesn't hate, hate kindergarten. There are still upsides, like Discovery Time and art days. He has friends and loves his teacher. Recess. So there's hope.

We wish it were easier for him. It breaks our hearts when he's sad and tells us how he's not excited for kindergarten as we try to level with him that all kiddos go to school. How he likes this and that about it. How his friends are there. It helps a little.

Last week, after K trimmed up his mop of hair, he had his first school picture. Seeing our little boy in that photo pretty much melted the two of us. It reminded us how proud we are of his bravery, of his getting up every day and, after a quick hug and kiss outside the school gate, pulling his backpack tighter on his shoulders and walking not too fast but not too slow into the building. Grabbing his breakfast and turning right to his classroom.

I read a beautiful article (and since bought the book) about the Sierra in this summer's Backpacker magazine. In it, the author Kim Stanley Robinson writes:

Again, the speed of the world comes clear. It's slow, but it goes too fast.

We love you, buddy.