Dutch started primary at the beginning of the year. I was really anxious about how he would do. This would be the first time that him and Maylee have been separated and now he has to sit in a big boy chair and not play with any toys. The first Sunday when I dropped him off he immediately started crying and screaming for Mommy. So I sat with him for about 2 minutes and then I asked his teacher if she wouldn't mind holding him and I would sneak out. He sobbed when I handed him to her, which broke my heart but I knew he would do better if I just left. (I stood in the back and watched until he calmed down.) And of course once I left and he couldn't see me he quickly calmed down. But what also helped a ton, which I thought would make it worse but it didn't, is David had just got called to be the primary teacher for the 6 year olds. Once Dutch saw that his Daddy was still in there he was totally fine. And he didn't' even try to go and sit with David. Al though David did say that he kept patting the chair next to him and motioning for Daddy to come sit by him. And ever since that first Sunday Dutch has loved primary. Every Sunday for the last year has been the biggest fight to get Dutch to go to church with a smile on his face. He would cry and scream and be in the worst mood all Sunday morning. But now that he goes to Primary he loves going to church. I guess he didn't like nursery as much as we thought he did. He has never asked to go back to nursery. Although last week he did want Maylee to come to primary with him, which was super sweet. Every Sunday after we pick him up he is so excited to say goodbye to his teacher and just wants to get her attention and then for the whole car ride home he tells us everything that he did and how much he loves primary. It just makes me so happy. But one of my favorite things is how he is starting to understand that he has friends that he can sit by. They are no longer just kids in the same room fighting over the same toy. They are his friends. After sacrament when we are walking to the Primary room he always talks about how he is going to sit by his friends. Or he tells us stories of his friends. Our little boy is growing up.

The last month two other girls in my ward and I have started having a play date for our kids. They each of a little boy close to Dutch's age, so we take turns and alternate between houses. We drop the kids off at someone's house and they play for close to two hours and then we come and pick them up. It was been so great for Dutch. He is so much more comfortable going to someone else's house to be babysat and being away from me. I am so glad we have started doing this. And it is definitely teaching him some better skills at playing with others. He shares better when they are here and he is interacting a lot more with other kids. Dutch has always been my shy one, who needs a shove from me to play with other kids so this has been so helpful. And he loves the little boys that come over. He always talks about Jack and how he loves Jack. It's fun to see him starting to really have friends.

And it has been so nice for me. For two hours its just Maylee and I. I can go and get errands done while only having to drag one kid with me. Or I can just have Mommy and Maylee time together. However it has made me realize how close Dutch and Maylee are. Maylee gets bored very quickly when Dutch isn't here. Even if I am trying very hard to distract her she is very quick to notice that Dutch isn't here playing as well. And everyday when Maylee lays down for a nap by the time she has been sleeping for about an hour or so, Dutch keeps asking if she is awake yet. Because he is bored and ready to have her to play with. I am so grateful that they are so close in age and such good buddies.