Slippy, Blue and Preschool

Just recently it hit me like a ton of bricks how grown up Tess is. Just simple things that were such a big part of who she is, are one day gone. I have a children's book that I have read dozens of times and each time I read it, I still cry. It is called, "Let Me Hold You Longer." The idea of this simple book is that we faithfully remember our children's "firsts" but we miss out on the lasts--those milestones that somehow pass us by. They sneak up on us, those moments that are gone before we know it.

Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past--
Would I have held on longer if I'd known they were your last?

A few weeks ago Tess found slippy under her bed. It was a moment that I realized how much she had grown up. Let me back up. Tess was a baby who wanted to be held ALL the time. She didn't like to sleep without being held and wanted to be a little nursling attached to momma at all times. I heard an idea about wearing an old slip to bed one night so it retains your smell, cutting it up and using it as a security object for a baby. It sounded kinda odd, but we tried it and it worked amazingly! There is something about it smelling like momma and the soft silkiness of the slip that Tess found irresistible. (I cut one scrap out of the slip and tied knots in it to make slippy and threw the rest of the slip out. There were MANY nights I wish I had saved the slip and made a few backup slippys. I guess we didn't know it was going to work so well!) Here she is an infant sleeping with it.
It became her constant "lovey" and she HAD TO HAVE IT to sleep and whenever she nursed or had milk from a cup. But what cracked us up was the other things she would do with it--it could be a clothing accessory, a blanket for a stuffed animal or she'd even use to dust with (I'm all for cleaning, but cleaning with the object that you like to sleep with never seemed like a good idea to me!) The funniest thing she would do is put it in her mouth and shake it really fast with her eyes open really big. It was her way of showing that she loved it so much she just couldn't stand it!

So back to a couple of weeks ago. She found it under the bed (covered in dust bunnies, I might add) and immediately started rubbing it all over her face. In a hushed voice with her eyes closed, saying "Oh, slippy! Slippy! Slippy!" I couldn't remember the last time I had seen it, and I don't know what happened to it after this joyous reunion. What day did she outgrow slippy? This object she couldn't live without, obviously still loved but forgotten.

Would I have held on longer If I'd knew they were your lasts?

Another day in recent weeks that it just hit me so hard that she was growing up revolved around Blue's Clues. If you've been around Tess at all in the last few years you know that second to slippy, Tess lived and breathed Blue's Clues. Before she could talk, she would flash her hands making her sign for Blue's Clues. It was the only show she watched and we have seen every episode numerous, NUMEROUS times.
She had a book that had a picture of Steve from Blue's Clues and as a 1 year old she would open that book to look at his picture and just giggle and giggle. Quite the crush! Blue and Steve and Joe and Magenta were her constant imaginary friends. Sometimes it was a little awkward when she was potty training and we would have to make sure that imaginary Steve had a chance to go, too. Her second birthday was a Blue's Clues theme and we almost had a Magenta theme for her third birthday (a cowgirl theme won out at the last second.)
Anyway, back to the point. It has been weeks maybe months since she has seen a Blue's Clues episode. I had asked her if she wanted to watch an episode one day and she replied, "Nah, Blue's Clues isn't my favorite anymore." I about fell out of my chair. When did she outgrow her best friend, Blue? When was that last episode watched? When did she stop needing to sleep with Blue or Magenta? Well, I want to watch Blue's Clues! I'm not ready for her to give up that phase of her childhood already!

Here she is at 1 1/2 playing with Blue and Magenta. She's saying, "Blue is drinking Tess' water."

Would I have held on longer If I'd knew they were your lasts?

Today was a milestone, a milestone of a first, however. Tess had her first day of preschool today. She was thrilled and had a wonderful 2 1/2 hour class. But as I'm writing this today, it is already a "last". She won't have a first day of pre-school again. Oh, how fast time goes.

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.