This week:

Oliver lost his first tooth. The tooth fairy delivered a good coin. He’s learning to hold his chopsticks properly. AND the nighttime diaper came off (finally!).

But then tonight Oliver was acting a little funny – wanting me to stay in the bathroom when he took a bath, chatting chatting chatting… wanting more and more Tsunami books, chatting chatting chatting.

At bedtime, he tells me that he “cried a little during rest time” because he missed me. Rest time is a break during aftercare – after school care from 12:45-5:30pm. He cried at rest time but then decided that he has a lot of fun in aftercare so “it was ok, Mama.”

So we talked about how we can get special time together and how if he ever misses me too much, that I can come get him and we can have a special day.

And it made me think that although he wants aftercare, insists that he wants to stay “long, long days to play!” – when he seems to be the biggest boy ever – he might need a little time with me, making yarn necklaces or collecting big leaves.

Oliver at 18 months

When I kissed him goodnight, “Mama, if I ever miss you and I’m 40 years old, can I still call you to have a special day with me?”

(sniff) OF COURSE!

So, in the same to week he lost his first tooth and got rid of nighttime diapers, I was also reminded that he really will always be my little boy.