Where Did My Baby Go?

Ok, it's sappy; it's cliche, but it's so true. Our kids grow up before we know it. One minute you are changing their diapers and carrying them around on your shoulder all day, and the next they are getting ready for kindergarten and getting phone calls from boys.

Yes, you read that correctly - phone calls from boys! But I'll get back to that one in a minute.

Last week, I took Claire to our neighborhood elementary school for her scheduled kindergarten screening. I actually almost missed this event. It's a bit unbelievable, but in our county, you register for school in February! I missed the registration date, but called just in time to get in for the screening. Really, I think there must be tons of people who miss these dates. How are parents of new kindergartner's to know? Anyway, so I take her to the school for screening. Now, I really have no idea why there is a need to "screen" kids in the first place. I hate the idea of labeling kids or classifying them in any way, especially at such a young age. Would they really turn a child away who wasn't able to identify the color, "yellow"? Who knows.

Claire was totally thrilled about this whole process. She could not wait to get to the school, and actually told me later that day that she was disappointed that she didn't get to sit at a desk and start learning things. (love that kid!). But while Claire was thrilled, mom was nervous. Seriously, the butterflies in my stomach and the rapidly racing heartbeat would suggest that I was about to take a final exam that day. I was so nervous that Claire would be nervous or shy and wouldn't do as well as I know she can or that she would just think it was a fun game and not really try. So, there I am, waiting out in the hallway next to the library practicing my deep breathing and trying to focus on a pleasant beach scene. Ridiculous. I won't lie. I think I might need a Prozac prescription when she is taking the SAT. :-)

She did just great, and all is set for next year.

So, back to the boys . . . When Claire first started at her preschool this year, she came home the first week talking about the "wild up boys" (I'm thinking this is meant to be wild and riled up put together). This group of three boys were the rowdy, rambunctious ones who always got in trouble, would try to chase the girls, and, no doubt, bothered Claire's sensitive self. As the year has progressed, however, she has talked less about how those boys bother her and more about how those boys are "hilarious." Great, just great.

A few weeks ago, she came home and told me, "Mom, I think that I like Liam now." Liam (once known to Claire as "lamb" - think Liam said with a southern accent) is a member of the "wild up boys." Apparently, they started talking about a movie they both liked, and Claire thought Liam's impersonation of the main character was simply "hilarious." So now she is talking about Liam all the time, and when I mentioned this to her teacher I was told, "oh yes, Claire definitely has a crush on Liam." Fantastic.

So yesterday I pick up Claire from school, and the teacher pulls me aside to tell me that Liam asked Claire for her phone number so he could call her. She gave it to him and asked the teacher to write it down for him. I sort of laughed it off, thinking no way this little boy was going to call.

Wrong! He called last night and told Claire that he wants to have a play date with her. Ok, I know it's a play date, but the "date" word is still in there! I'm not ready for this.

This morning I wanted to make sure that Claire understood that while it is perfectly ok for her to have friends who are boys, she is too young to have a boyfriend. Her reply: "but mommy, Liam is my boyfriend."

Ugh.