Oh the places we'll go...tomorrow! 8/18/11

I definitely don't think it's been said enough how incredibly proud I am of Jake - not just because he's leaving K3 smarter than ever or because he's coming around to saying what all Southern gentlemen should which is "Yes Ma'am." and No Ma'am." or because he's just...well...mine.  Because that's all he needs to be to make my heart swell with pride...mine.  He's all of these things definitely, but he's also a big brother.  And since he's become one, I've truly been amazed and overtaken by everything about him.

Life as he knew it changed nearly completely, and he started doin' this Big Brother thing almost flawlessly.  His unconditional love for Baby was instant.  It somehow smothered any feelings of jealousy and resentment he may have possibly had, and his acceptance of someone and something...I mean everything...new was effortless.  "Not now"'s and "Wait a minute, Babe.  Mommy needs to take care of Parker first."'s he was okay with...and still is.  My precious one who had always come first in the lives of the two people who love him most was biding for second.  And as far as anyone could tell, he was okay with that...and still is.

And all the while I know he's confident in where he stands with us, I still have that "Mom-To-More-Than-One-Child Guilt".  I'm torn between the seven month old who is tackling milestones while spending much of his weekdays at preschool and taking advantage of the one who's capable of entertaining himself and had me at his disposal twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for the first eighteen months of his life.  I want neither one to not be lavished with thousands of kisses and receive hugs until our arms ache.  I want them both to be sung their favorite songs and read their favorite books as many as times their hearts desire.  I want more than anything for them both to feel the overwhelming amount of love I have for them and not a drop less.

So because his school is closed tomorrow so teachers can work without students under their feet...because he deserves it...because we haven't done it since the week before Parker was born...because he still needs one-on-one time...because I won't feel the least bit guilty about it...and because he got to choose where he wanted to go - we'll make a trip downtown to the Children's Hands On Museum and spend a few hours exploring, learning, and enjoying...together.

And I think I'm almost more excited than he is!