This is what greets me almost every weekday at around 5:00pm.

As soon as our big red car is spotted driving into the parking lot, Samuel will drop whatever he is doing and race over to the fence to give me a big smile and a hello. Sometimes he’s so excited that he’ll jump up and down with excitement. Almost every day, he makes me give him a kiss and a hug through the bars before I say a brief goodbye so I can go through the building entrance to the playground.

It’s the best part of my day.

I think we’ve turned a corner with Samuel. It seems that as soon as he hit the 3 and a half mark he’s been more consistently happy, less combative and generally just easier to be around. It’s been a welcome change and just one more sign that my baby is growing up.

Of course if I call him my baby I am quickly reminded by Samuel yelling at me that “I am NOT a BABY!!”

I didn’t say he was an angel and that everything is perfect – just much, much better. 🙂