The Beginning of the End

Today is the beginning of the end of summer.  Our last full week together.  Hard to complain about it, since it's truly been the best summer of my life.  I don't know if that makes it harder or easier knowing how much fun in the sun we've had together.  I have a lot of home projects to catch up on and a few lunches with friends that I've managed to squeeze in this week.  Trying to keep it fairly low key so we don't start next week exhausted and disheveled. 

Last year, having been my best year teaching ever, made the last day of school so bittersweet.  I've never had so many kids cry - even the day before the last day.  I've never had so many students write me letters over the summer.  I'm really looking forward to seeing their sweet little faces in a couple weeks.

For my new class, I'm in denial.  I poured my heart into those kids last year. So many needed so much extra attention and love but it really paid off.  Now I have to start all over, learning the emotional and academic needs of each.  That first month is so exhausting I'm not looking forward to it.  However, I am looking forward to Oct. when I know what I need to know and then I can begin making those bonds teaching them what they need to know.

I've spent the last nine weeks pouring my heart into my very own little ones that its - again - bittersweet - to 'leave' them.

The other day we were in the car talking about all the different things we've done this summer.  They couldn't think of a thing they'd like to do that we hadn't already done.  I began explaining there's one week left of summer and I go back to work and Victoria immediately looked like she was going to cry.  Then I explained when I go back (except for workshop week) she'll begin kindergarten.  I was returned with a huge smile and loud YAYs!! 

I'm so excited for her to begin her school career.

She had her kindegarten assessment last Thursday morning.  She asked me to use extra conditioner on her hair the night before so Mr. Cardenas can smell her 'nice clean hair.'  She assured me she'd 'get all the points' on the test.  I told her I didn't even know if there were points for this assessment.  But if there were, "I will get them all, ok Mom?"  She was serious about impressing this teacher.

For the record, she missed 6 points.  She got 100% in math and missed 6 in reading for a total of 95/101.  There were apparently 28 lower case letters she had to identify.  She missed one.  I'm assuming it was a weird 'a' such as the one you see here in print or something like that.  When I casually asked her hours later which letter she missed she assured me, "What?!  I knew all the letters."  When I explained what the sheet said she missed one, she confidently replied, "Oh well, Mr. Cardenas must have made a mistake."  Interesting response from the five year old who has yet to begin school.

Christian attended 4 days of half day preschool like a little champ last week.  I am so happy they offered this transition for him and so lucky they let Victoria attend too.

On the last day I arrived a couple minutes early and was walking back in the school with the class and four teachers. One teacher said, "We were talking about what your #2 would be like after getting to know Victoria so well.  We expected him to be more shy and not so talkative.  So we were shocked to see he's just as smart and talkative as her." "Really?!" I respsonded.  "Oh yeah, he can speak so well and follows directions so nicely.  I'm amazed you have TWO of them."  I just smiled thinking, well, he either fooled them or me in more ways than one!

For more than a week, now though, I keep mentioning, here or there, how good he's been.  He hasn't had a single time out in 10 days (knock on wood) which doesn't mean he's been a total angel but it does mean he's been pretty darn good.  Maybe that structure is just what he needed and maybe he maturing and his impulsivity is going by the wayside. 

Even though next week at this time I'll be dressing for work and probably teary eyed about bringing them to daycare, I am so excited to see what this fall and school year has to bring for us.  They are growing up right before our eyes and I am loving every minute of it.