The second half of parenting life...

 .... starts when your youngest child is about three (or is preschool age).

I love the What Fresh Hell podcast and they recently did an episode about this very topic. 

Niall "graduated" last week from the toddler room at his childcare and started in the "preschool room" (across the hall) today (and turns three in two weeks).  It definitely feels like a milestone, for sure (and there were no tears from me, only joy!). We love all of his heroic childcare teachers (some of whom have watched both of our kids grow up from infancy and who have truly become like family) but they’ll still be nearby at the same site, a short walk away. 

Parenting infants and young toddlers is exhausting!  From the outset, I knew that I would enjoy and feel more comfortable parenting three-year-old (and up) children. Three-year-olds (generally) sleep though the night (at least mine have). Communication is way easier (and Niall is quite a talker). When your child is (reliably) potty trained, it makes outings much less complicated and cumbersome (not that we go anywhere much during a pandemic, but still...).  Some parents call these future years "the gravy years," when kids are still young, innocent, and love to snuggle, and haven't yet reached the teenage years of attitude and angst (except our strong-willed six-year-old does have a lot of attitude, and some people call three-year-olds "threenagers").  Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to them!

Coloring well in between the lines! 

Growing up and out of the Lillebaby carrier!

So big! (sign by big brother Iver, bribe to smile by Papa). 

He popped in there like "no big deal," as his is "No-Fuss Niall" way. 

This is a classic "Pandemic Preschool" shot-- haunting to me in many ways but "normal" for him.

Onwards... to the rest of our lives.