Moving up

Technically, Biscuit shouldn't have moved up to the 4-year-old class at day care until today. But after the director went class to class last week to check the number of kids per teachers, she said Biscuit needed to move up early. So his first day in "the fours" as they call it, was last Tuesday.

I didn't deal well with it, and neither did his 3-year-old class teacher.

Last Monday when I picked up Biscuit, his 3-year-old class teacher said, "I've got to tell you something, and I'm not happy about it."

My first thought was that Biscuit had hit somebody and was in trouble or something.

"He's moving up to the fours tomorrow morning," she said. And she had tears in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked. "I thought he would have the rest of the week with you."

"I thought so, too," she said, "but there's a 2-year-old who's ready to move up, but he can't until one of the 3-year-olds moves up."

She was upset, and I felt really bad for her. She loves Biscuit, and she'll miss him.

So the next morning, I walked Biscuit to the door of his new classroom. And it hit me that this would be the last class he has at this day care. After this year, he'll be done here. And it seems like it's all moving really fast. Too fast.

So I start tearing up.

Biscuit's teacher in the 4-year-old class was one of his teachers from the 1-year-old class. So I've known her for three and a half years now.

And you know how she responded to me crying about Biscuit? She laughed at me.

Yep. She laughed. No sympathy whatsoever.

"You know he's gonna be fine in here," she said, "so what are you crying for?"

And my brain knows she's right. But my heart was sad.

We talked about their curriculum and the things Biscuit would be working on in her class.

"Do y'all work on handwriting?" I asked her. "Because his handwriting is terrible."

Her eyes got real big, and she said, "Don't you talk about my baby that way!"

"I'm just saying that he needs to work on drawing his letters, that's all," I said.

She said they definitely work on handwriting. They also do critical thinking exercises, like "Today's weather is rainy. What does that mean?" Then the kids respond by saying they need to wear a jacket or carry an umbrella or wear rain boots.

She said they also work on getting them ready for kindergarten. Kids have to be so much smarter these days before they even start kindergarten. We learned our alphabet in kindergarten. Nowadays, kids have to know some simple words when they walk in the door. It's crazy.

So it sounds like Biscuit will be learning a lot this year. And he's excited about it. Jeff was helping him brush his teeth Tuesday morning, and Biscuit said, "Dad, I wish I could go to the fours again today."

"You can," Jeff said. "That will be your class every day now."

"Really?!?" Biscuit said, and his face lit up.

So I guess I'll suck it up and realize that my baby is growing up.

Here he is ready for his first day in the 4-year-old class: