No longer a little boy

I have a little down time as we pack up our office and move to a new place.

My son graduated to "Big Boy" status last week. He strapped on a back pack and got on a school bus for his first day of school.

I try not to brag too much about my son. Both of my children are great kids. I've written about my daughter in the past; she is a very special girl. My son, who started kindergarten last Thursday, reads at a 2nd grade level, can do math problems including multiplication. He understands most of the jokes in his beloved "Captain Underpants" books. His vocabulary is amazing. His teachers will love him, and he'll have no friends because none of them will be able to conduct a conversation on his level.

Don't get me wrong, he's still 5 years old. He can be the goofiest kid I know. On the first two days of a school, he got lost and ended up with the first graders after lunch.

And the boy loves his Legos. The Legos tell me just how brilliant he is. The things he builds, and the imagination he brings to his creations tell me that we're going to have our hands full keeping this kid interested, engaged, and stimulated. Granted, Legos are much cooler than when I was a kid and had 5 basic blocks in 5 colors. The 'new' Legos allow a child to express himself in amazing ways.

Anyhow, as he was getting on the bus, I mentioned to my wife "we'll remember this day when he leaves for Northwestern".

And suddenly, we both felt very sad, and very old.