'The' Ben

Ben has recently started referring to himself as 'The' Ben. You know like The Fonz from Happy Days? It cracks me up! And really, there can only be one person like Ben so why not be The Ben? Everyday I enjoy watching his personality emerge and grow. He is a true joy to behold....even when he drives me crazy by asking "what are you doing?" 500 times in 5 minutes. I know I've bragged before about his fantastic imagination, but really it amazes me. He loves to pretend he is different animals, or a robot, or the garbageman, or the mailman, or whatever else he's recently encountered. He's gotten pretty good at story telling too. A friend recently made the comment to me that a vivid imagination is the mark of intelligence....if that's the case then Ben is already smarter than anyone I know.

We registered him for preschool last week. It's so bittersweet for me. You want your children to mature and explore new things, but it is so hard letting go. I know he is ready though. He watches the yellow bus come through the neighborhood everyday and asks if he can go to school with the kids too. We took a tour of the pre-school he will be attending and he got so excited exploring the classrooms. I will be filled with worry and anxiety on his 1st day (and every day after that). He's never been cared for by anyone other than me, his dad, or his grandparents. What if the teachers don't understand what he is saying? What if the other kids are mean to him? How will he cope without me there? Ahhhh, the worries of a mother. I can only give him kisses and hope for the best. I know I have to let him discover his way on his own, he will be a stronger person through his experiences, but that doesn't make it any easier for me.