Leaps and Bounds

I remember when Brayden was only two years old and inquisitive. "What's that?" was literally every other phrase he spoke when he was little and learning all about the things that make our day to day life work. He uttered the phrase so much that when we were shopping one day and stumbled across a little t-shirt that said just that on it we knew we had to buy it for him because that's who Brayden was, our little "What's that?" baby.


Now when Brayden has questions about the world and the things around him I'm not always the first person he turns to for questions. From 8am until 3:45pm he is off learning new things that will help guide him in life, and sometimes it still catches me off guard, the realization that I don't have much to do with that portion of his life anymore. I've watched my child grow by leaps and bounds and although I'm his biggest supporter and source of encouragement the real hero's are Brayden's teacher to being his guide and Brayden himself for applying his thoughts and seeing the things in the world as miraculous and something that he can gain knowledge from.

Last Wednesday was Brayden's meet the teacher night. His school likes to hold them about three weeks into the school year so that their is some school work on display for the parents to see. We all piled in the Jeep and drove the mile down to the school for the evening, much to Gage's delight who cries every single morning when Brayden heads off to school on the bus because he wants to go to school too.


I'm always unsure when I walk into Brayden's school. This is the place that has replaced me in so many aspects of his little life. And this is the place that will continue to replace me as he grows and gains Independence, and that's a hefty thing for any mother to overcome. But this is also where my child thrives. It's a bittersweet thing.

We checked out his classroom and met with the teacher, who only had wonderful things to say about Brayden (aside from his knack for running to the bus at the end of the day ... have to get the best seat you know). Gage got a chance to sit at his big brother's desk and pretend that he was a real student himself. And Brayden's dad and I got to witness the very source of our child's mental development. Luckily, he's in good hands. But sometimes I wish that those hands were still mine.