Have just realized ...

... like I did with Enzo last year... that Milo will soon be leaving me for longer periods of time once school starts (yesterday, to calm things a bit, I took out some kindergarten activity books, and it was so sweet watching Enzo help Milo with the activities - for Lil's activity, I had her help me bake zucchini bread :-). When Enzo started kindergarten, it was sad not to have him along at the grocery store or other outings with the little ones. I mean, he had gone to preschool, like Milo does, but it was different - I didn't pick him up at lunchtime anymore - we didn't do a special morning outing once a week anymore... it was... well, like I said - sad. As I fill out school paperwork this year, I am feeling that again. I mean, Milo is so high-maintenance, and I think yesterday, in the midst of his constant talking and jumping off of furniture and staying up too late, I did that deep breath that I've promised myself - that step back to think how lucky I am and how good I have it. When I did that, a flood of memories came back to me - Milo and having coffee, going to the store, hitting a play area, getting donuts - all documented in photos on one of my old phones (I would send them to Daddy and he would text us back - in fact, I remember one of Milo running down a rainy street in Squirrel Hill, a look of pure joy on his face - we would allow Lilliana her morning out program once a week, so we'd be alone). Anyway, Milo has the option, this year, to eat lunch at school - not once a week in P4 like Enzo did - but three times a week! I don't know if we're ready for that yet - may do that mid-year or so. You know... with Olivia I didn't feel this way. She was the oldest - everything was new and exciting - plus I got a lot of one on one time with her - and... she was always the daycare kid and that was part of my working mom world. I think that's it - it's change - a movement in the world I create with them individually. Ugh - don't get me started on high school and Olivia leaving her old school behind....;-).

Photos: Milo likes to take photos. He photographed me here - a few months ago (sometime in the spring - one morning when it was just us) and... then posed for me :-).