Birthdays and School

So Jude turns four tomorrow, has an open house at his new school to meet his teacher and get to know the classroom, and we're hitting the fair.  It's going to be a long day but I'm really looking forward to it.  Jude is excited about school, we had a a moment where he fought the idea, but after explaining to him that everyone goes to school and that his friends are all starting school, and told him about all the fun things he gets to do he started to get excited.  Now he's rearing to go.  We still have to figure out transportation though... they won't bus preschoolers and I don't have a car... and I'd walk it except for about 50% of the walk there are no sidewalks, nothing but a two foot wide unpaved shoulder and a bunch of traffic.  Not going to happen.  So we'll see if I can work that part out.  I've already managed to snag him a scholarship for tuition so maybe I can swing this too.  I'm a pretty dedicated mama.

I want him ready for Kindergarten next year and I know they're going to fight me on it because his birthday is after the cut off date.  But I KNOW they can test him in and I want him tested.  I know he'll suffer if he's held back a year from all his friends simply because his birthday is a few weeks after theirs.  He thrives with older peers, he seeks them out, he doesn't like younger kids and gets frustrated with them easily.  I don't want him to hate school, I want him to be challenged and to enjoy it.  That will not happen if he's made to wait.  I'm hoping that his preschool teacher will see this and help me... most teachers are against early starts though.  I get that as a general rule I just wish they were more open to testing at least.

I'd home-school him only in all honesty I lack the discipline and patience to do it.  I'd do it if I had to, but I'd really rather not.  Besides which I want Jude to experience school with other kids to socialize with, other adults that he has to listen too, a routine that he has to follow laid out by a teacher, not mom.  I think that's important.  He needs to go outside his comfort zone a bit.

Lordy, my little man is growing up!!!  It's crazy.  Where has the time gone.  Everyone tells you it flies by but you never really get that until it happens.  Part of me wants to slow it all down, and part of me is so proud of the person he is becoming that I can't wait to see where life takes him.  It's scary too... scary to know that at some point I won't be there to protect him, to help guide his choices, that I'll have to step back and let him sink or swim hoping that I gave him the skills he needs to succeed.  Watching other parents with grown kids deal with the backlash of unfortunate choices with the raising of their kids... seeing also that sometimes kids are just going to fail because of who they are in spirit.

Well, it's late, I must sleep, big day tomorrow.