Turn the Page...

I knew it would be somewhat torturous to do this, but as Kindergarten began looming, I started a trek down memory lane. I read some of the journal that I started for Kelton while I was pregnant with him, considering some of the hopes and dreams I had for this baby and this family before we even knew if he was a He. I'm so glad we've packed the past 6 years with so many memories and lessons... mostly lessons he has taught me!

Over the past couple of weeks, he and I have gone through the 9 scrapbooks that hold those memories since our minds fade too easily. Lots of Gut-Laughs throughout those books! I am so grateful for each day God gives me with these 2 precious kiddos! They have created so many dimensions in my life I never knew could exist.

Kenlee's 1st day of Third Grade, and Kelton's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

It was this moment at Meet The Teacher Night where my eyes started burning... seeing his name on his desk, and seeing him sit in that tiny chair. So independent. I was biting my cheek trying not to cry and embarrass him. I'm sure these hormones are compounding the emotions!


God really answered my prayers, though! I prayed that God would give Kelton the Kindergarten teacher he needed... one who would have a loving way of teaching him to channel his focus and energy without breaking his spirit. And one who would make him feel comfortable and special and yet push him outside his personal limitations to reach the heights God has set before him.
Mrs. Jobe is amazing~ Kelton knows her from church, and she volunteers with the children's department there, so she knows him as well ;-) He is friends with her son, and Mrs. Jobe is a friend of mine, so I feel like partnering with her in his education will be easy. She is a godly woman and mother who prays for her students and her mission. And hey, if she has the patience of Job, we're in good shape ;-) AND she has a classroom blog with pictures and updates, so I feel like I can peek into the window of his day.

Mrs. Jobe is a good sport, too--- when I asked about getting a photo on Meet the Teacher night, she asked Kelton where we should take the picture. When he chose to stand IN the power point, she didn't even hesitate to smile for the photo he wanted.

But, of course, then I had to get the traditional shot.

By 5:30 AM the next morning, she had emailed me the following family picture to commemorate the night. Scrapbooking his Kindergarten year is going to be so easy.

Seeing it all fly by will not be so easy, though!

Of course there's a lot of emphasis on the Kindergarten year, but it has been equally overwhelming to realize how quickly Miss Kenlee is turning into a young lady before our eyes. She is excited about 3rd grade because this is the 1st year they get to have a homeroom teacher and rotate classes between three 3rd grade teachers.

I could tell she was a little nervous when she saw her name on the list under Mrs. Logan's name. Mrs. Logan grew up in Stamford, but she is new to Anson this year, so Kenlee had no frame of reference, no familiarity. In 1st and 2nd grade, Kenlee had teachers she knew previously from church. However, as soon as we got to the room, Mrs. Logan put us at ease. She is very friendly, and she had Kenlee's desk next to her workstation by the Prometheum Board. Of course, to Kenlee, that meant that Mrs. Logan purposefully put her there because she knew she would be a great helper... I love her confidence! Random tidbit: Kenlee thinks Mrs. Logan looks like her favorite meteorologist! LOL! The KTXS field trip last year had an impact!

As I think back over my 21 years of school, 3rd grade was my absolute favorite year. I loved high school and the many opportunities I had, but 3rd grade stands out as a year of many firsts, and it is the 1st year I had so many distinct memories of learning something. Oddly, it is the only year I ever got paddled... talking too much... imagine that! From my favorite elementary teacher, too! I think she went easy on the swat, but it sure hurt my pride. It's hard to imagine that my daughter is at that place in her life... that place where I got to decorate a set with tempora paint, use colored macaroni noodles to practice multiplication & division, (I learned cursive in 3rd grade, but now they are tackling that in 2nd), and also the place where I got that "check yes or no" note passed to me from across the classroom... and confiscated! At the Disney store this weekend, I bought her a gown just because I was hoping she would still wear a gown. In our world we are into Hannah Montana, HSM 3, and Camp Rock pj's; so I was relieved when she agreed to the gown. At least for one more year...

It was a successful first day for us all. No tears from the kids. No tears from me (well, not until the parking lot). I got to have lunch in the cafeteria twice to check in and see how the day was shaping up for each of them. Then they overloaded my car with friends after school. Kelton had 2 friends over and reported that his favorite part of the day was "all of it. I can't pick." Kenlee had 1 friend over and said that her favorite part of the day was getting to know each of her new teachers. They were both exhausted and ready for bed without negotiations. We have begun a new chapter.