Staying 5

Luke Calton is quickly approaching his number 6 birthday. It's August the 3rd, and for once, he is not gung-ho and excited about his birthday. He has decided he wants to skip it this year, and stay 5. Well, actually, he still wants to do the party and the cake and especially the presents, but he wants to stay 5 for another year. "What's the matter with the crazy boy?" you ask. Well . . . kindergarten. Yep, that's right. Kindergarten.

My darling son has decided to boycott kindergarten. He adamently does not want to go. It doesn't matter that 2 of his friends are going to go to school with him, and that he will learn all kinds of cool stuff, and go on lots of fun field trips. And don't mention that it is "big school" for "big kids" because that is definitely not what he wants to hear.

He wants to hear that he gets to stay at "little school" with Ms Amie. Ms Amie is evidently the greatest teacher ever made and noone will ever be as awesome as Ms Amie. I love Ms Amie - she's awesome and Luke loves her, but he really cannot stay with Ms Amie forever - and that is his plan right now.

He sat in my lap on Wednesday afternoon and cried for 20 minutes (balling with tears and boogers and everything) because he does not want to leave Ms Amie. And the boy comes up with some great arguments, let me just say. After not wanting to leave Ms Amie didn't work, he went with the friend plan. "But JOSHUA is going to kindergarten at home school! Why can't I go to kindergarten at home school and then go to Ms Amie on Thursday and Friday?" When that was ineffective, we aimed for the family plan: "But I won't get to see Daddy as much!" When convinced that Daddy will be at work the whole time he's at school, he proceeded to thinking of new solutions . . .

By dinner time, he had a plan.

Luke: "Mom. I've got a plan"

Mom: "Okay, what is it?"

Luke: "I'll go to kindergarten for one day, and if I don't like it, you will send me back to Ms Amie."

Ms Amie, Luke Calton loves you. I hope his kindergarten teacher has a shot at his heart after you!!! Thanks for being awesome! And the rest of you - pray for Luke to get excited about kindergarten because it's only April. We have a l-o-n-g summer ahead of us if he's this stressed about it now!