Beware the ides.

Yup it's mid-March. Six years ago I was struggling to adjust to being a new first time mom and having what I thought were only irrational thoughts about something happening to my precious baby. Hard to believe Cian would be six now. I often wonder, if Cian hadn't died, what would our family look like? Chances are we wouldn't have any of the three children we have now. Where would we be living? Probably not in this house. I could spend hours playing this game.

So it's March and it's about 70 degrees outside and I am choosing to be happy. Princess Eloise is 4 months old and a complete delight. We are out of the newborn phase and into the goofy, playful baby phase. Noel is starting to use words. We still have a ways to go, but he's starting to (I think) comprehend that we like to communicate with words. And then there is Paudie, this blog's namesake. We are registering P for kindergarten next week. That is huge. I can't believe he is going to be heading away on a school bus in the fall. Mind you I am currently looking out the window at his school so it will be a very short bus ride. He is pumped. And full of surprises. At his core Paudie is an introvert, like his mama. John would say he's an introvert too, but he's got nothing on me. So I take our little introvert to the playground on Sunday and immediately this big boy comes running over and wants to play. He's 7. Kids always think P is older than he is because he's tall so I caution the boy that Paudie is only 4 so don't expect too much/cut him some slack. So they play a bit and 7 year old moves on.

A little bit later 7 approaches to play a game of tackle football. I of course am like, oh dear, I don't think Paudie is really into football and then he shoots me the evil eye - I have clearly just embarressed my son for the first time. P runs off to play tackle football with a brawny 2nd grader - I am the referee. His mother is just sort of ignoring the whole thing and I am wondering, is this allowed? I hate these awkward parent moments. I am totally new at this and have no understanding of playground and playdate etiquette. So whatever the boys are running around and I think to myself, well at least he'll sleep soundly tonight. Then I turn back to see that P has the kid pinned to the ground. And is having the time of his life. Shocking. Our shy skinny kid is on top of the world playing tackle football. Not what I would have expected, not at all. I have always pegged P as a tennis player or golfer despite his big talk about hockey. Maybe he's a bruiser afterall.

And now he's getting ready for the kindergarten 'contest' as he calls it. NY has some sort of screening for kids to enter K - no idea what that all entails now - so P has been hitting the, um books, getting ready for the contest. His role as his mother's son is being solidified. I too was so excited to go to school. I can even vaguely remember going to my screening. I am so happy for him and hope his excitement doesn't wane or morph into fear in September. I actually saw the preliminary roster and there are only 36 kids on it. Yup, that's it. 36 total kids in his grade. I really think a small class size is going to be good for his introverted little self.

So there you have it on March 15, 2012. It's never an easy month but this unbelievable weather and our amazing kids have made this March a little more palatable.