Last Day of School

Today marked the end of our 2017 school year and as always it left me feeling quite emotional, albeit for good reasons. I am so proud of all 3 of our kids for all of the growth they made from September until now and so thankful to some very dedicated people who played integral roles in all of their progress. I am proud of all of us for getting through this year day after day and feeling as though we've "come out on top" at the end.

Cody finished up another year at his daycare after having been moved upstairs with the "big kids". He's grown so much developmentally but is still 2 so we are in a very tough stage with him. While I was running this morning I was thinking how this will all be a blip on the radar one day (until we are on to new difficulties) but it can all feel pretty overwhelming most days when he is so fiercely independent and wanting to do the opposite of all of the directions he is given. However, I know we are doing something right during the moments of "clarity"; the moments where he uses his manners, follows directions, and it all seems to come together.

Kailey finished up her first year at our elementary school as a Kindergartener and academically did great. She has been a sponge and absorbed so much from her teacher this year which is evident from sentence starters like "Mom, did you know...?". She has been our informant this year and comes home with information about things that took place at school. She seems to know all that's going on around her which has been very helpful in many ways. She loved her teacher, her school, her friends and her experiences this year and we know that she has many great things ahead.

This has been a big year for Colin in 1st grade and we are so proud of all of the growth he has made. Last year was a great year for him for learning how to be a student and function in his environment but this year included a lot of academic growth. One of the biggest areas we see it is in his love for reading and how well he is currently reading. We know that things were not always easy for those working with him but we do know that they worked very hard day after day in ways that have allowed him to be so successful. He really does love school and the people he has spent his year with.

We are also so proud of Colin for becoming very independent and riding the regular bus this year!

I think at the end of the day what leaves me feeling the most emotional is knowing they are part of a community; one in which they love, are happy, have friends, people who look out for them, and teachers/staff that care for them as well. And so, I was emotional today for a good reason...knowing that my kids are cared for, have people that work hard for them in ways that allow them to be successful, and that all of OUR hard work is paying off as well. It's been a great year for all!