Now It's Just Ridiculous

I think Sam is amazing. Of course I do. I write quite often about the adorable and wonderful things he does. However, I have always wanted to be completely honest here. I don't make any of this up, and sometimes we have bad days. But this kid of mine is such a blessing to me, it is unbelievable.

This week I started a new job, working Wednesdays and Thursdays. After having Sam at home with me for nearly two years, I found myself searching for a daycare for him. I found a home daycare I really liked, paid the deposit, and readied myself for Wednesday morning.

I've worked in daycare. I know how difficult morning drop-offs can be. I can literally count the number of times Sam has spent a day away from me, and all of those days have been with a family member. I barely gave my new job a second thought, but worried about my kid. I thought Wednesday morning might be okay, just because he wouldn't know what was going on. I then thought I'd get a call sometime that day that he was crying. I pictured picking him up that afternoon, him sobbing, me needing to rock him all evening, him waking up with nightmares all night. (Mommy guilt is REAL, people!)

I figured Thursday would be the worst. He'd leave Wednesday, needing me, but think it was all over. The sight of the house on Thursday morning would reduce him to tears. He'd be confused and angry. He'd become so upset I'd have to leave work to pick him up early. He'd be distant at home and it would take days to get him to play again. (I wish I was making this up. This is truly what I believed.)

Wednesday morning, I brought him into a basement full of kids and took off his shoes. He ran away. I called him back for a hug, which he quickly gave before again running to the toys. I called to check in on him around naptime. Sandy, his daycare provider, said that three times he looked up the stairs for me and got a little weepy (a knife through my heart), but that was it. He played and ate lunch and she rocked him to sleep for his nap. When I picked him up, he was happy and smiling and - I swear - seemed more self-assured. We giggled and laughed all evening and he slept like a pro.

Thursday morning I dropped him off and didn't even get a hug. He hit the ground running. I slunk out without him even turning around. At pickup that night, he saw me and gave a half-hearted whine. That was it. Sandy reported he looked for me once, with no tears, and had played all day. He ate lunch and went to sleep by himself on his little mat. We spent last night playing together. He was happy and adorable.

Thank you, God, for this sweet, social, laid-back kiddo of mine!