The Last Sweetness of Summer

Do you know what's a fantastic way to spend a Friday afternoon? Bowling with a 3 1/2 year-old. J and E hit the Miracle Lanes in Sidney, a 5 pin bowling alley and hot-spot for hip seniors. Turns out E fits right in with that crowd. They donned their bowling shoes and joined their friends to have some good clean fun. E loved the action. He kept track of which ball was his and waited, with varying degrees of patience, until it made its journey home to the ball rack. He had his own style, swinging the ball between his legs and letting it meander at its own leisurely pace down the lane, bumping off the gutter rails and giving the headpin a polite nudge to knock her over. 

He was a natural. Would have played on anyone's turn and frequently did.  

At home they played on quieter turf. E built cities and snapped photos for his archives.

J contemplated her young son's artistic eye and uniquely fashionable dress, dreaming of the ways in which he'll express himself when he's older. Art and self-expression have a tendency to run in the family. In less than a week, E will be starting preschool. This is a big step, for he and the Js. Twice a week, for a total of five hours, E will be at play in a roomful of his peers. Twice a week his mommy will walk him down the road with his backpack and lunchbox. She will kiss him goodbye and let him go in on his own (assuming he lets her). He will learn how to put on his own indoor shoes. He will have his own cubby. Everything he brings will be labelled with his name 

Preschool is as preparatory for the parents as it is for the kids. 

They each need to learn the steps in the dance of letting go.