Where did my shy Connor go????

The very first parent teacher conference we had with Connor's kindergarten teacher was concerning. His teacher had explained that for the first week of school she thought that maybe she had his name wrong. The reason being that when she called his name, he would stare at her with this blank look. She went on to say that she "even waited for his eyes to start rolling back in his head and wondered if he was ok." I knew my Connor was shy, but I had no idea.

Connor would come home from school that first year and I would ask him how his day went. He would hold up his two boyishly-dirty hands, palms out, and show me the new blisters that he had acquired that day from doing the monkey bars. "I am getting so good at the monkey bars, mom" he would say with a grin. He didn't talk about friends and so I asked him if he had made any new friends at school. Although his answer may have varied a little, it meant the same thing. He was playing by himself but becoming an expert on the monkey bars.

Fast forward a year to the present and my oh my how the pendulum has swung. My once timid little boy has blossomed into a social butterfly, or maybe he would prefer me say "social moth". They are so cautious as not to appear too delicate.

At the start of his first grade year, I thought I could try to avoid a repeat of that first parent teacher conference and I decided to write his new teacher, Mrs. Davis, a lengthy email about how shy he was and my concerns over this. I wanted him to be able to find friends and find himself. I continued to convey how she may have to encourage him to participate and talk to other kids.

As I walked into the school for our first PTC, anticipating what this new year was bringing for my big 1st grader, I was confident that my email at the first of the year had been welcomed. A lifesaver even. That Mrs. Davis had to have been so grateful for the insight into this quiet boy, that it explained so much about him. What a complete shock to me when it didn't go as had played out in my mind.

Connor was no longer "shy" it appeared. Mrs Davis was confused by my email and thought she may have misunderstood it. Was I really sitting in a parent teacher conference for my Connor, discussing when it was appropriate and not appropriate to talk to the person sitting next to him? I walked out of that meeting a little dazed and confused.

I sincerely am not sure how it happened, or even when it happened. Unfortunately, as with so many things in my life it seems, I went to bed with one of them a baby and woke up with him 7 years old and forming his own opinions and sharing them with everyone.

I vaguely recall bits and pieces of forewarnings coming at me over the years like; time will fly so quickly and enjoy them while they are young because they won't be young long.

It appears that I need to pay closer attention to those little bits and pieces people give me here and there before my boys are all grown up and gone and I've missed it all. I have been given a precious gift from a gracious Father in Heaven... front row seats for one of the greatest shows on earth. I think from now on I will try to sit back, pop some popcorn and enjoy the show!