He's 4, and he'll turn 5 at the end of this month (7 more sleeps actually, he informed me this morning).
We 2 were on our own in the classroom, everyone else having ripped through like a tornado seconds before to climb stuff and throw things and screech at the top of their lungs on the indoor playground just outside my door.
My most darling baby is still in his chair. This morning we talked about the new school year starting in March, their new (male) teacher, and my upcoming move back home earlier in the morning... he'd been a bit quiet/thoughtful since, so I'd been expecting our little chat.
Whatt're you doin' honey? Aren't you going to playtime?
"Teacher.... Mommy says you are a good teacher. Me too teacher, you're a good teacher. I like you. No going to Canada okay? You sleep in my house, and everyday - we can play."
That's very sweet my lovely, but I can't sleep in your house - your Mommy will have to cook too much food for me!
(his mom sends me snacks some days, and she is a GREAT cook - which would mean I would want to eat a lotta food if I lived anywhere near... teacher thought she was being 5-year-old logical and reasonable and all that...)
"NOoooo, it's okay! Mommy-says-it's-okay-you-can-do it - REALLY TEACHER!!"
Aww honey, you know teacher has to go to Canada soon... but you will have a great new teacher (a boy!!) for the next class, you'll have lots of fun with him in school - and you can call me on the video phone if you miss me, right?
"Yahhhh, but...." (damn... I should NEVER have taught them "yah, but"!)
My little one plunks his chin on his teeny fist and attempts to furrow his tiny brow as he's hard in thought (my favourite expression) and stares hard at me silently for a few seconds.
"Teacher?"
Yes, babe?
"Teacher, you n' me go duhn-duhn-duh-duhhhhn......duhn-duhn-duh-duhhhhn (tune of bridal march... he couldn't remember the words 'get married')... you don't go to Canada, right?"
(One of my co-teachers is getting married in the Spring and won't be returning to her home... this little guy can certainly put 2&2 together!)
Cue teacher turning to a gooey puddle at the front of the tiny classroom with shiny eyes from keepin' tears from sneakin' out as I look at my little darlin,' waiting for my answer so earnestly...
My voice cracked a bit and I cleared my throat a couple times before I answered him...
How about we talk about getting married again after you have some fun out at playtime, okay honey?
Like a big chicken, I thought it best to distract him since I couldn't think of what else to say in the moment...
"Okay teacher. You go to coffee, I go to playtime."
With that, my astute little one ran off to play and I (as directed) went to fill up my coffee cup and have a timout in the kitchen. When recess wound down he came all hyped up on the climbing, jumping, and screaming, a huge smile on his face, successfully diverted from his worries once again.
Me? Looking around the room at my shiny little faces I still had to do a lot of blinking to keep back the tears, thinking about how soon it was that I wouldn't be seeing my little babies anymore.
March is gonna be haaaaaaaard for teacher, methinks!
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