Stephen was supposed to start nursery school later this month. Now it looks like he won’t start until October because we’ll be spending most of September in California.

I’m actually relieved to have an excuse to delay so that we can preserve his wackiness just a little longer instead of giving the regimented schedule of school an earlier start to draining the spontaneity out of him. It scares me to think that after Stephen becomes a student, he’ll be a different kid altogether.

One of the other kids we know started school before he turned two years old. Before he went, this kid was rambunctious and strong-willed. After a week of school, he was already quieter and more subdued. He was almost a shell of his former self.

Maybe it was just a natural evolution of this kid’s personality. I don’t know. And maybe Stephen will still wiggle his tush and jump around like he has springs on the soles of his feet even after he starts school. His ability to get crazy and have fun in almost any situation (after some time warming up) is what I love best about him. Other kids notice this about him too.

Today in the playroom, while I was wearing my proud-mother glasses, I could see how much the other boys wanted to emulate Stephen and to get him to pay attention to them. They saw Stephen running around full of glee and didn’t understand how someone could be so free. They tried to follow but couldn’t keep up. They watched everything Stephen did and wanted to copy him. One of the boys even asked me–his voice full of concern–if Stephen liked him. He wanted to Stephen to like him.

I want it to be the same when Stephen starts school. I’m afraid it won’t be. School encourages conformity and conformity isn’t wild, creative, or hilarious. Conformity isn’t Stephen.