Goodbye and Hello

Today was Felix's last day at Debbie's, his daycare since he was just ten weeks old. Felix had a lot of first's at Debbie's - crawling, walking, talking, eating, etc. He grew from a baby to the toddler he is now. He has made friends there that he has known since babyhood. He felt loved, and safe, and enjoyed playing in Debbie's backyard and at the park a few blocks away.

We are moving Felix to a new daycare where he will stay until he goes to kindergarten. Seward practices conflict resolution with the kids, has an anti-bias curriculum, and even does gardening! As he gets older, he will get to do "explorations" with the other kids where they investigate things they are interested in. We are really excited about Seward Childcare Coop, and think Felix will thrive there, and love it.

At the same time, I found myself sadder than I thought I would be today. Felix is leaving someone who has known and spent more time with him than anyone besides his parents in his short life. When we said goodbye today, Debbie gave Felix a present, and told him she loved him. While I know this is the best decision in the long term for Felix, that moment pretty much broke my heart, partially, I think, because I know he will never remember it.

So, I made the decision today that I would help Felix remember Debbie. Maybe we'll go back from time to time, maybe we'll look at her picture and talk about her. While we may move on, and have new adventures, people don't just disappear. I will always be grateful for Debbie's warmth and love for Felix.