There Is A God!

I have always been a believer that the signs of a higher power are there if we choose to see them. Friday, I had the opportunity to experience a sign.

So, it went something like this...

My son gets out almost 3:30 from school. My daughter and I head out usually around 3:00 for pickup. Friday she asked for bagel bites, I checked the freezer and we were out.

I asked if she wanted to head into town for a slice of pizza (something we never do). It was about 1:15. I had all the time in the world before my son's pickup. We went to a local pizza place that I don't usually go to. I ordered our pizza and when he gave them to me I said, "can I pay for them so when I have to leave, I can just go?" He took my debit card. We had plenty of time. I looked at my watch at about 2:00 thinking ok, what do I do with her until 3:00?

She was eating the last bite of her pizza and I received a call.

"Hello, is this Maria?"
"Yes"

"Hi, it's the school. Are you Handsome's mom?"
"Yes" My stomach did a flip. Was he sick, did he get hurt.

"Ummm...did you forget about early dismissal? They got out at 2:15 today."

My heart ached. My hand was at my throat.

"Don't worry Maria. He is in the office, so take your time. He is ok."

I grabbed Goddess and flew out to the pizzeria pulling up in front of the school by 2:31.

He was coloring and the principal and his teacher had each spent time with him waiting before the office staff gave him crayons and said, "draw a picture for mommy."

I apologized, grabbed him and hugged him and flew out of there.

He was really only in the office about 10 minutes. He is the only Kindergartner who doesn't take a bus so they had waited until the buses left and then walked him to the office for the dreaded phone call.

My heart ached. It wasn't that I forgot about him. He was on my mind the whole time but I forgot that they had early dismissal. I felt like the worse mother on the planet. I knew it wasn't terrible but I felt so bad that he had to be walked to the office and I wonder what he was thinking.

Why I know there is a God?
If I had been at home I would have been over 15 minutes away. 
If I had bagel bites (which I usually do) obviously, I would have still been home.
If I hadn't paid before hand, I wouldn't have been able to run out like I did. I would have had to wait for them to run my card or wait for customers.
Everything worked out perfectly.

I still have the mommy guilt but I know it was just a wake up call. I also know it could have been worse.

Update of Handsome - 1 Month Into the School Year

From the beginning, I met with some people who thought my holding my son back from Kindergarten was only going to make him suffer in the future. Either he would be bored next year in Kindergarten or teased by classmates who remembered that he was once in their class and figure he must have been left back.

I stood my ground knowing that he would not be the only child ever held 1 year and that he would survive it.

If you are wondering why I decided to hold you can go back to the beginning but if not, let's move along shall we?

It has been 1 month since we started our ridiculous new schedule of Preschool, speech and OT, gymnastics, and martial arts and I am so proud.

He is in school from 9-12 5 days a week. Then we walk over to speech 4 times a week and OT 2 times. He goes to martial arts training 2 times and gymnastic 1 time all with a smile on his face.

His speech is incredible. We are working on specific sounds now like l/ch/s along with a lisp and he seems to be opening up more, less shy with much more confidence.

I recently asked his preschool teacher if she thought he would have been ok in Kindergarten. Her answer, "you know, it's a hard call. I think he would have been ok but I see why I decided to hold him. He is shy but I do see him playing with the other kids. He is a really good kid and you can't second guess what you did. You are his mother and you know what is right for him."

She also said that all the other kids want to play with him. She mentioned that he and another boy that was held from Kindergarten play together and she isn't sure if they instinctively know that they are older. Most kids she says want to play with the older kids. It's funny because the Goddess is usually the kid that wants to play with everyone but usually it is Handsome who everyone wants to play with except he doesn't usually want to play.

When I asked the Goddess who she plays with in school she mentioned her brother. When I pressed more she said, "just Handsome." I think next year will be different because she will no longer be the youngest in the class.

As for his Karate and Gymnastics, I couldn't be more prouder. I am amazed with what he does in Gymnastics and he does will in Karate but I hear them constantly telling him to be louder. Hopefully he breaks through his self esteem issues with the help of Karate and moves forward.

He is doing so well. We are so proud and and KNOW holding him was the best thing for him.