School gets the best of him, I get the rest

School gets the best of him, I get the rest.

I don't know whether this is something all parents of reception children experience, I don't know if it is because my August born baby started school almost as soon as he turned four with trousers a little too long and sleeves that reached over his hands or maybe because he has always needed a little more sleep than your average child but I miss the 'him' that I have been reminded of these past two weeks.

Every morning I wake him, his eyes still sleepy and his body slow. I make breakfast and he dresses with little conversation. The walk to school sees him perk up, the fresh air hits and we chat about what the day holds. His eyes gain their sparkle, he holds my hand all the way and he is my boy. Almost as soon as we set out we are at the gates and he excitedly runs into the classroom with a kiss and a smile over his shoulder. 

His teacher gets the pleasure of his company between 9am and 3:15, she watches him learn and explore, build friendships, learn independence, laugh and smile. The child she sees is a delight, sociable, inquisitive and full of energy.

I meet him at the school gates and nothing beats the look on his face as he spots me, a smile that lights up his whole face.  He runs out and gives me the biggest hug. I ask a question about his day but I already see him shutting down and by the time we walk through the front door he is done, he slumps into the sofa requesting food immediately and needs some quiet time.

The rest of the afternoon is both long and short at the same time. The hours until bedtime seem to drag but nothing really happens.  I don't push too much as I can see already that I won't get anywhere, he can manage to watch tv, listen to a story or two but not much else. His energy is spent, he is still my boy but not completely.

The weekends are spent recovering, catching up on sleep, getting things done, time with his brothers who he misses in the week and Sunday night seems to follow straight on from Saturday morning without us really having time to catch our breath.

The past two weeks I have had him at home with me, and I have realised how much I love his company, how sweet and caring and intelligent he is, how much I miss having him around, how much fun we have together.  He has been at school since September, this isn't the first break but a mixture of the beautiful weather and all the possibilities it brings and the fact that by the next week off I will be so heavily pregnant that things won't be as easy, I won't have as much energy and he won't have as much of my focus.

This fortnight has been amazing, I have been privileged to see the side of my boy that only his teacher really gets at the moment, we have made memories, spent time just holding hands and making sense of the world, we have curled up together to watch films, done puzzles on the floor, built sandcastles on the beach and relaxed into our days with no set times to be up and out.  It has been the first time since he started school when I have seriously considered home schooling, just so that I could spend more time with this wonderful boy of mine.

Dylan doesn't feature so heavily on the blog any more and this is a big reason why, there just isn't enough time in the week with him.  I love this boy of mine, I love watching him grow, learn about the world and about himself.  I love his sweet smile, how he is so protective over his brothers, so loyal to his friends and how he can still be my baby when he gets tired.

School will be claiming his energy again but I am holding out for the next week off and some time to really appreciate him again.

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