Last Day

Well folks, this is the end of Kindergarten! My baby has hit yet another milestone. These stones are coming down so hard and fast it's hard not to hurt a little. There were all sorts of gut wrenching but perfectly beautiful end of the year celebrations, and I only fell more in love with the school she is attending. Any apprehension I had about Kindergarten all drifted away pretty early on. Sure there were some minor bumps along the way but they were all relatively easy to deal with. Each day at drop off was different. Separation anxiety came and went in phases for her.  There were some tearful mornings as late as May so that might just be her "thing" that will follow her for a while. She had a couple of "Mean Girl" moments when girls were asking to sit next to Miss Popular of the class and she got denied a couple of times, but her confidence was strong enough that she stopped asking and did her own thing. There were also the few times someone commented on her food or that they could see her underwear when she was wearing a dress. I was ready to attack but they were all normal elementary school events that came and went quickly. Just like the year.

There was a slide show that was put together for Young Author's day. The event took place in the morning at the start of the school day and each child read something they wrote, Twig wrote about her little friend in London and as soon as the other kids began to read she decided she wasn't going up which was fine. She was a little afraid of getting up in front of grown ups with a mic. Hand it to her in front of a crowd of kids though and she will put on quite a show. After the kids read we watched the slide show. It had a picture of each kid on the first day, and then showed every fun. exciting, assembly or activity that was organized throughout the year. Every child was beaming between the accomplishments and achievements they had successfully accomplished all year. Looking back it was hard not to get emotional. Kindergarten was exactly what it was meant to be. A transition from preschool into the higher grades. The kids had their own yard, buildings, and lunch area away from the bigness of the rest of the school. Now she has completed that transition and it feels a little daunting to throw her in with the big kids. 

Every kid has strengths and weaknesses. As a parent, my goal is to learn where my kids are strong and where they need a little help and then support but not save them through the hard times. It has been a lot of learning this year for sure. I am honing in on the tools that work best for MY kid and not necessarily what the best parenting book thinks. First grade will be interesting for many reasons. After a possible move to a new home, she will soon after start school and have another big move from the rug to a desk, and the possibility at an entirely new school. I know that once she gets over the initial newness and then the daily goodbyes, she is a quick study and will be fine. I am still learning that for myself. Here we go! What's next is not clear but I am proud of her for this amazing year and look forward to first grade fun!