Now that Connor’s entered the great big world of first grade, he’s starting to learn a bit more about life as a student. It can’t be all fun-and-games kindergarten forever, kiddo!

Over the course of the past two weeks, he’s started bringing school work home and is now also studying so he can “win” his Friday spelling tests. I say win only because when I asked him how he did this past Friday, he proudly exclaimed, “I won!” Competitive much?

Anyway, his first spelling test was just over a week ago and I couldn’t help but feel anxious all.day.long about it. It’s not that I expect him to “win” the exam or even print all of his letters correctly … I was just anxious for him. I was worried he might get nervous and some of what we had practiced with him would disappear right when he needed it most. I had no doubt he had the list of (five) words down; he was spelling them all correctly not even two days after we got them.

I got a call from him shortly after school let out that day and he told me he’d aced his test. I finally exhaled and all was well with the world again. But I got to thinking … if this is the way I’m going to feel every time the child has to face something on his own, I will no doubt have a head full of gray hair much before my time (I’m only 27, remember). And no one wants that, right?!