I went with Little Billy to his school.
It was orientation night - the night to meet his teachers and learn all the rules.
We arrived right on time.
We made our way to the cafeteria and found our seats amongst the other excited students and glum-faced parents.
We listened.
Then ... we got up and moved through the hallways towards all of Little Billy's classes.
We'd find the right room.
We'd walk in and sign our names on the sign-in sheet.
I'd bend over and ask Little Billy to go over to the teacher and introduce himself.
I'd stay back and watch.
He'd walk right up.
He'd wait his turn.
He'd get the teacher's attention.
He'd say ...
"Hi - I'm Billy," and he'd extend his hand to shake.
I could see the teachers were impressed.
I was impressed!
I was proud.
I would then go behind him and introduce myself to his teacher and we'd then sit and listen and get up and go on from there to the next class.
After the tour and introductions were over - we left the school and walked out to the parking lot.
I put my hand on Little Billy's shoulders.
I said ...
"Thank you so much for being so polite and well mannered with your teachers."
He smiled.
"And ... thank you so much for being so brave and so confident and not arguing with me about my asking you to introduce yourself to your teachers."
He smiled.
"I am very proud of, not only how you handled yourself - but ... that you trust me when I tell you that you should do something - you just do it - thank you for that."
He smiled big.
"And ... thank you for being so nice to me tonight. I know you were around a lot of your friends and yet you never left me behind or talked mean to me or was ever once disrespectful. You made the evening very pleasant for me and I appreciate your patience and how kind you are."
He smiled even bigger.
"I love you, Little Billy," I said, as we were getting into the car. "You are a good boy and I am proud of you. I think you are going to do fine in middle school and ... I love you."
"Okay, okay, okay ..." he says, while climbing into the van, "What are we gonna eat?"
*sweet moments between mom and son ... O-VER!*
On the upside ... I love all of my kids the same - I do! I love them all. But ... that boy - he is nicer to me than any of those girls are - he is! I think it is because the girls and I are all cut from the same tough naugahyde cloth and our personalities are 'zactly the same. And him - he and his daddy are cut from smooth and cuddly cashmere. He is his daddy's boy!