That is so gross.
How hard is it to just pick them up?
They must be so lazy.
These are all thoughts I had for years when putting children into their cars during car line duty at school. I would see toys thrown around the floorboards of cars and piles of Cheerios lying in car seats. I just couldn’t wrap my head around how an adult could just leave their car in that condition. My car wasn’t perfect put I picked up my food if it spilled and took in any extra pens or other items when I went into the house.
Fast forward a few years and the Cheerios are the winner! It feels like an impossible task to keep my car Cheerio free at all times. There is almost always a car or glove or hat or stuffed animal lying somewhere other than in the appropriate bag.
I used to have the same type of misinformed opinion when parents would drop their child off at nursery for church on Sunday. A child would be crying, holding on to their parents neck and the parent would refuse to let go. I sometimes just wanted to say, “Give me your child. They will be fine. You are making it harder on them.” I remember seeing parents sneak by the window just to see how their child was doing. My thought was, “They are fine. Go learn something from the sermon.”
Again, fast forward, and I have done both of those things. In my head, I knew I needed to leave Liam even though he was crying and just walk away…but how?!?! I sat through a sermon unable to concentrate until I knew for sure that he was happy…so I snuck a peek in the window.
Liam has attended the same church his whole 23 months. And, as hard as it’s been to leave him in nursery, I almost always knew who was watching him. He went through the clingy stage for a bit but I nearly cried a few weeks ago when we walked into the doors of the church and he took a left past the bathrooms and walked right into the nursery as if he owned the place. No looking back to see if I was coming. No wave to say buy. Just a sweet, two year old strut with all the confidence in the world.
Of course, it broke my heart to think that that confidence would be lost when we moved to Bozeman. He wouldn’t know the routine. He wouldn’t know the people. He wouldn’t know the place.
But, just as I’ve been proved wrong when I became a parent, Liam proved me wrong on Christmas Eve.
The three of us attended a 2:00 Christmas Eve service here in Bozeman. I fully intended to take Liam into the service with us. I had a bag packed with plenty of quiet activities plus I figured the drums and lights would keep him entertained for a while. When we got there, we made a stop at the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom, Matt and Liam had walked to the side of the entry way and Liam was playing in a small, kids playhouse. He was grinning from ear to ear.
I looked around, took a deep breath and decided to ask for some nursery information. A lady took my info and told me Liam could come in at anytime. The nursery was divided into ages and he’d be int the Wobblers room with other 12-24 month old kids.
I grabbed his hand and the three of us walked down the hall past the Wigglers room. The nicest family with four girls was volunteering in that room. Basketball, blocks, slides, stuffed animals… It took less than two minutes for Liam to decide that the room had plenty of fun things to do and fun people to play with. We left without a single whimper or tear from him. I couldn’t believe it.
Where had my baby gone?
When we came back an hour and a half later, the nursery volunteer greeted us with a big smile and informed us that he “has the sweetest vocabulary”. I think that was one of my first proud mommy moments. Right then and there, I wanted to tell her everything cute he says and does and how he can count and say his letter sounds and knows so many animal sounds…but I held my tounge. Because bragging parents are so annoying. And that is one thing that still stands true even though I’m a parent.
One of my major fears of moving was taking Liam from everyone he knows and loves. But, though I am doing that, Christmas Eve proved to me that he will be just fine. And so will his Mommy.
