Mindbender

I have been struggling all day. It wasn't a tissue-box-wielding kind of day. But I just cannot wrap my mind around the fact that we have a 2nd grader! Here he is, in all his LEGO glory, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for his first day of 2nd grade. The First Little Nguyen isn't the kind of child who is all wrapped up in clothes. He could really care less and usually just wears what he thinks goes together or what I recommend. But this weekend, while we were out shopping for soccer cleats, he found this LEGO Star Wars t-shirt and actually asked me to buy it! Of course, I did, and never can I recall any piece of clothing making this little guy so happy (except for maybe his ladder truck t-shirt when he was two). It was the perfect back-to-school thing to wear.

Breakfast! A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, as requested.

First Little Nguyen, taking 2nd Grade by storm...

We were out the door early this morning, but this little Storm Trooper didn't seem to mind! He was ready to go by 7:40, his backpacked loaded down with sharp new pencils, crayons, markers, and a huge collection of notebooks and folders. By the size of the back-to-school supply list from the 2nd grade team, I think the children are going to be learning a bit more than reading, writing and math: organization is the name of the game. That's a good thing. Start early, right? Before long, we'll be using an agenda.

A little backpack bling...

He did allow me to at least walk him down the hall when we got to school (I think only because he couldn't carry the big, heavy bag with Purell, Clorox wipes, paper towels, two boxes of Kleenex, and extra snack), and I was pleasantly surprised when he snuck in a big hug and an "I love you" before he went into his classroom. I was also surprised that, for the first year, well....since he went to daycare when I was still working....that I didn't cry. It was more of a happy feeling, probably because I know he can take care of himself now and that I don't have to worry about him.

Scrabble cake

The house was quiet today, although not terribly so. The Second Little Nguyen helped me prime a bookcase in the living room and he chattered on about space, astronauts, LEGOs and lots of other things. He even helped me make a special back-to-school dessert for the First Little Nguyen. Time was running short as the afternoon wore on, and we were just finishing the cake when we should have been leaving for carpool pick-up. I must have worn the Second Little Nguyen out with the business of the day, as he fell asleep almost as soon as we pulled out of the driveway and slept through carpool!

Back-to-School at our house warrants a special dessert! Any excuse to make dessert, right? But the First Little Nguyen is getting too old for the cutesy cupcakes and cookies of years past. He needed something a little funkier. So, he got a Scrabble cake! Thank goodness for chocolate-covered graham crackers. There are a multitude of uses for those things! Well, he loved his cake and when he read the message on it, he said, "Mom, you're right! Second grade ROCKS!" Cool! Double word score!

Now that the first First Day of School is out of the way, I can concentrate on the second one....next Monday. A big day! The last year of preschool! I am certain I will need the tissue box that day. Sometimes I feel like life is changing right before my eyes. I suppose it always has been, but somehow everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and it felt like the boys were endlessly young. Now, life seems to be in fast forward and I realize they aren't going to be little forever. I want them to grow up, but just slow down in doing so! In just ten short years, our 2nd grader will be graduating from high school. When I think about how fast the past ten years have flown by, the fact is undeniable. Everyone always says, "Enjoy these years because they will fly by." So true....and absolutely mindbending.

Enjoying a bite of his brother's Scrabble cake!