On the Eve of the Last Day of Kindergarten

Right now I am in disbelief that Braeden is 6.5 years old and one day away from being finished with Kindergarten. Whoa, what happened to this whole last year? I vividly remember preparing him (and myself) for that first day of school that he would have to stay all day. His preschool had been a few hours 4 mornings a week and the transition felt huge. I don't know if he was as nervous as I was, but we both bravely walked into school that morning in August unsure of where the year would take my beloved first born. He was a champ and loved it from his very first minute inside his classroom. 

Now we have come to the end of the kindergarten journey and I am awed and amazed at the transformation that can take place in ten seemingly very short months. I sent a fairly timid 5 year into his new world and in return I have been given a confident and social boy. He has enjoyed making new friends immensely and while I know that he spent the majority of time with those friends that he knew before the year began, he openly engaged and enjoyed the company of all of the students in his class. He is kind and compassionate and very much aware of his friends needs and feelings. He struggled early in the year with being a follower and has blossomed into a person who can make his own decisions and generally chooses the right path in making decisions for himself. I admire him for standing up for what is right rather than laughing at or encouraging behavior that can hurt other people or himself. He has made me so proud. 

I have watched him learn to read and grow incredible confidence in math. He can count by 1's, 10's, 100's and 1000's. He is improving on his spelling and more often than not now I can figure out what he has written on his daily work or pictures. He loved all of his specials and always came home to share what they had done in art class that week. He even told me at one point that he wanted to be an art teacher when he grew up. I guess he really liked his art teacher. 

Yesterday they had step-up day and he is beyond excited to move on to first grade next year. He enjoyed visiting both classes but wants to go to the teacher that I already know that he has for next year. Yay! For about the last week he has been counting down the days until the last day of kindergarten. He is so ready to move on. The idea of a new classroom and new classmates and routines next year doesn't phase him at all. I only wish I was that kind of kid! 

So as we prepare for tomorrow and saying goodbye to his teachers, I am willing myself not to cry and make a blubbering scene in his classroom. I don't know how the time has gone by so quickly. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished this year. He is definitely ready to become a "grader".