He Is Kind

There has been a big change in Dylan this year, and I need to write about it, so that I can remember.  Dylan started going to preschool when he was almost 2.  As an only child, I felt it was important to get him around other kids regularly.  Unfortunately, each year I seemed to be getting the same report from the preschool teachers... he didn't interact with the other kids that much.  Dylan has never been shy, but he just seemed to like to do his own thing.  

I will never forget going to the spring program at the preschool 2 years ago (when he was 4).  The teachers had asked each child a few questions and put their answers on big posters placed on the walls. One question was "Who is your best friend at school?"  I looked to see what Dylan had said... "Maya".  Then I looked to see who Maya had answered.  It wasn't Dylan.  I held back tears as I noticed that no one had answered that my sweet boy was their best friend.

I worried at the beginning of this year.  Would he make friends in kindergarten?  At the beginning of the year, things seemed to be the same as they were in preschool.  But, sometime during the course of this year, things have changed... in a big way.  In his kindergarten class, each child gets a chance to be "Kid of the Week" once.  A couple weeks ago,  it was Dylan's turn.  Once again, I had to hold back tears, but this time, they were happy ones.  This is what he brought home...

Dylan has always been described as "smart", and I have to say that each answer made me really happy, but nothing made me more proud than seeing that someone said "He is KIND".  

You know the expression "Be careful what you wish for?"

Well, yea, I'm living it!  There is a little girl that is a year older than Dylan that lives next door.  The two of them are inseparable lately!  We cannot take a step out into our back yard without her appearing, and vise versa.  The two of them playing is unbelievably cute.  Dylan is SO sweet to her, always giving her drinks or snacks when they play, letting her go first, being very gentle with her when they play.  (Once when I said they could play a certain game, he replied, "I don't know about that.  That might be too rough.  She is very delicate".  DELICATE?!  

I sometimes joke with Jim that we might have a problem on our hands with these two when they are teenagers.  The other day, Jim and I were finishing dinner while Dylan and her played in our yard.  Suddenly, she appeared at our back door, saying that she picked flowers for me!  After I thanked her and she went off to play some more, I told Jim, "I might cry!  My future daughter in law picked me flowers!"  He laughed, and replied, "She's already buttering up her mother in law.  Smart girl!"

(I don't know if you can tell, but they were pretending to talk on the phone!)