First day of eternity

EggEgg has been waiting in the garage since 9am, with a fully loaded school bag on his back. "Mami, are we going yet?"
"But your first day of kindy won't start until 10:15! Why are you hanging around the garage now?"
He refused to put down the bag, nor potter around until it's time to go.  Way too excited about the first day of kindy...

Last night, he was reviewing the entire canteen menu list in total earnestness, confirming with us over and over again about which snacks he's allowed to buy, how much each item cost, etc etc.  I even bought him a cute little zippered wallet where he could put his weekly allowance, $1, to get started with this whole shopping experience.

Yes, the usual sentiment -- my little boy has grown up so fast!  Yet, he still a baby.  Today I have the pleasure to button his shirt, tuck it into his pants, and stick his foot into his brand new leather shoes.  Tomorrow, or soon enough, he won't need my help anymore.

"Mami, these shoes hurt!"
"Yes, they are leather shoes, you never got to wear them before, hey?  It will be painful for the first couple of days, but a week later, they will soften up and become very comfortable.  When I was a kid, my shoes used to hurt too, but later they were ok."
("... when I was a kid... " my recollections of my own childhood always have a reassuring effect on EggEgg.)

"Oh, EggEgg, in case your fingers are sticky after eating lunch, here's a packet of tissue paper I'm putting inside your bag."  His eyes brighten. A packet of tissue! How civilized! How grown up!  He smiled, as if he's been promoted to a new level of social status.
"Look Mami, I know how to open and close it carefully." He repeatedly open and close the tab just to make sure it works.

He looks forward to the freedom of the recess, the playground, the canteen shopping, the soccer playing in the grass field, and the myriad classes that he gets to attend.

Good luck, my little one, on your path to 13 years of compulsory education.
When I was a kid... those years seemed like an eternity.