My Baby's Growing Up

Nas and I have been spending a lot more one-on-one time lately and initially, like Monday, I wondered what on earth we would do to fill the time. I haven't been home with a 2-almost-3-year-old in quite a spell so I started to get a bit anxious.

The first two days were tough, only because my iron level was low plus we were waking up much earlier than usual so the most Nas and I accomplished on Monday and Tuesday would have been meals, naps and his free time to play. Once I got myself together, we started doing more and I'm finding we both really enjoy it!

My little boy and I have been to the library and park, then topped our outing off with an ice-cold smoothie from our favorite juice spot. We've played outside more than I might like, it's been pretty doggone hot around our way, but he always comes inside and says, "I had fun outside mommy," so how can I resist? Today we ventured out to the McDonald's PlayLand early enough to share breakfast and catch other preschoolers there for him to play with and boy did he have a time.

As I sat flipping through the pages of my oh-so-beloved Redbook magazine, Nas would scoot off to play but soon he'd return in his usual shy way. He sat, nibbled his half of the breakfast sandwich, sucked his juice through the straw with the deepest breaths he could muster, then off he'd go again. I know my son. He's not big on strangers, kids or otherwise, so he tends to play by himself. Well today started off the same as always, Nas playing by himself and running laps around the large play structure. But, to my surprise, he started playing with a little boy around his age and it made my heart do a little jig.

They ran with each other, pretended to fight each other in a way similar to the action figures of their time, and the blond boy followed Nas through the corridors of the PlayLand. The boys joined another group of kids for "Duck Duck Goose" and when the older girl called "GOOSE" all the kids jumped up and chased her around the room. Suddenly my magazine didn't hold my attention the way it always does...I was engrossed in watching my son play with other kids the way I hope he always will. When we were leaving McD's he looked up to me and said, "I played with the kids mommy!"

Nas will start preschool on Monday (he 'passed' the evaluation with flying colors!! i wasn't worried!) and after watching him enjoy himself with other kids did my heart good. If I cried (and I did) when Jay started preschool, I'm going to just lose it on Monday after I am out of Nas' sight...Jay's in first grade already but I still have Nas at home, but it won't last too much longer because, afterall, my baby's growing up.