Daycare Playdates: I didn't skip them after all

I was thinking about skipping the daycare playdates last week.

My son's nap was too short the first day, so that seemed like a good excuse. (He can't possibly go sleepy!) Then he bumped his head and cried a little. (He needs the comfort of his mamma! At home!) I closed the living room window and slammed my fingers into the baby guard (I can't drive injured!) After we finally got ourselves buckled into the car,  I made a few wrong turns on the way to the daycare. (Oh, well. Can't find it!) But, then we made it the first day. On a gloriously colorful fall day.

I wanted to hate it.

I wanted to come home to my husband - in the dark at 5:30 pm - with a long list of good reasons why our son should always be home with me, even if that meant it would continue to be hard for me to teach, write and otherwise do, well, most things.

But it was great. Predictably, our bambino had some happy moments, some clingier moments and some, well, mundane moments. And so did I. At one point he patted me on the back and walked away. I didn't cry; at least not in front of him.

The kids sat in toddler-sized chairs and ate crackers and drank water out of plastic cups. Our bambino stood behind his seat and looked at the other kids in wonder. Or maybe that wasn't wonder and he was thinking, "Why would you guys do that? You don't have to do anything they say," as he leaned over the tiny seat to grab another fistful of crackers.

They sang songs, danced, marched, played with blocks and trucks and then went out to the gated playground under the trees. The teachers call the kids "friends," and kept encouraging the kids to play with their "new friend," our bambino. The teachers were super considerate, attentive and nice. (I can't even imagine working with eight emotional toddlers exploring the world without too many words with which to express their frustration, all day for days on end. I'm already thinking about holiday gifts.)

So, I guess we'll go back this week for playdates through December. And then he'll start full-time.

Full time? Most likely. You know, I'm keeping my options open.

But I'm also thinking about seeing movies and having lunches with friends. (At least, I think I still have friends to meet for lunch after not seeing them for so long.) I need to focus on working and writing, of course - all during nap time, snack time and awake time. Even during the bambino's awake time. Amazing.