*Sigh...*

It has started already. Austin is torn between being too cool to get hugs and kisses from mommy, and still needing me by his side. I always walk Austin to his classroom in the mornings when I drop him off, and give him a hug and a kiss outside of the classroom door before leaving. Yesterday started out no differently. We got out of the car and proceeded to the doors, when Austin noticed his friends waiting for him (twin girls I might add). He took off running without so much as a goodbye look/wave/grunt. I called out to him, and he reluctantly came back and gave me a pseudo-hug and ran off again. I stood out in the cold looking after him, dejected and hurt, tears running down my face, cars honking for me to get out of the way. OK, so I wasn't quite that pitiful, but you get the idea. So this morning I offered to just drop him off and let him walk in by himself, and he started to get teary eyed and asked if I would please walk him in. I eagerly got out, a smile spreading from ear to ear (my little boy still wants me!) and skipped around the car to let him out. Then he saw the same twin girls waiting for him. I could see his eagerness to run to his friends, so I quickly hugged him and let him go. We have agreed that from now on, hugs and kisses are given before we get out of the car, but that I can still walk him in. I guess it is an ok compromise, I knew as a parent there would be a lot of that. I just didn't think it would start so soon.