He’s like a sponge!

That was Nicholas's Montessori teacher today, describing him during our parent-teacher conference.  I actually looked around to see if Steve Martin wasn't hanging in the background, feeding her lines. 

He wasn't, but the teacher just glowed.  She mentioned Nicholas's verbal abilities, the way he seeks her out for conversations and how he leads others whether they are older or younger.  She talked about his vocabulary and how much he had grown as a person over the past year…his independence  and his demeanor in class.  

And you know what ran through my mind?  How did I get so lucky?  How did I manage to have a kid go through what he did for the past year and escape nearly unscathed?  A move across the country, dad going overseas, major upheavals, the blip, an absent mother for the past year or so.  I mean, really?

I already have no clue where the Little Guy came from.  Yes, he's ours, but we look at the blond-haired, blue-eyed cutie (who is SO incredibly outgoing) and then just wonder… 

And I look at his sisters.  They each have their moments (who wouldn't?) but I really can't stress about either one of them.  Caitlin is very 13, but at times is so wise beyond her years.  Kelsey is still my little nugget, but