Kindergarten is Coming!!!

My baby is growing up.  And I'm not sure I'm ready yet!  My mind has been consumed this last month or so with the reality that my sweet little Camden is going to be a Kindergartener at the local public school in the fall!  How is this possible?  Wasn't he just born?  I mean, honestly, I feel like I just graduated from college, and yet I'll be celebrating my 10th reunion this fall and some of my former advisees who were freshman when I was teaching at Proctor are graduating college this spring!  Somehow time has marched on and I'm just not quite ready to embrace it.

For a long time Scott and I faced a decision that needed to be made about our boys' education.  With Camden having a mid-August birthday and Micah's birthday falling on September 30th (which is the cutoff day in our town) we needed to make a choice about whether we wanted them to be the very youngest in their classes or one of the oldest.  After lots of research, talking to friends with older children and teachers who we respect and taking into consideration our kids personalities, we decided to give both Camden and Micah another year of preschool before starting Kindergarten which means they will be turning six at the start of the year instead of five.  For many different reasons, this decision made the most sense for our family - and no, it's not so that they can dominate in sports among their peers as seems to be the assumption about families who make this decision.

After two wonderful years in his little Montessori school - where he attended two mornings a week last year and three mornings a week this year - Camden will be starting full-day Kindergarten in the fall.  A transition that I'm kind of freaking out about deep down inside.  I know that kids can sense stress in their parents, and I don't want to put that on Camden at all, and I have to say I'm doing a relatively good job of hiding it, but it's all such a big deal I can't help but feel nervous!  After three 3.5 hour mornings a week he'll be transitioning to five days from 7:40-2:45!  Whew! That's a lot of school!  At 5.5 years old, he's still napping most afternoons and still falls asleep early at night!  He's going to be exhausted!  He taught himself to read this winter (literally...I have no idea how it happened he just started reading!) and is able to pretty much pick up anything and read it.  He'll sit for 45 minutes on the couch with Micah reading Gerald and Piggy, Frog and Toad, Dr. Seuss, Little Bear and tons of other books out loud to his brother.  Although we're not worried about him academically, I know he's going to be challenged in many other areas - socially, making new friends, learning how to interact in new settings, how to stand up for himself and do what's right etc...

We attended his Kindergarten registration at the school last week and many of my fears and anxieties were put to rest.  We were both nervous that morning, and we've had a lot of good talks recently about how feeling nervous and excited often go together and it's OK to feel that way!  Sometimes we're nervous about new experiences, but the feeling will usually go away after the newness wears off.  I knew they were going to take the kids on their own for a bit while the parents got some information on the school and I was so scared that he would be clinging to my leg and not want to leave me...but he did great!!!  Phew!!!  We had an opportunity to meet both of the kindergarten teachers, the principle and assistant principle, the reading specialist, the school nurse and various other staff members.  Scott and I were both really impressed with all the adults we met and just feel like it's a really great school.  The building houses all grades K-8 with two classes per grade level.  It's the same little small school that I attended as a child with the same secretary and at least one of the same teachers!  I had a wonderful experience there, and I know my kids will too!  Thankfully, there were only 22 kids on the list for next year's class which means that even if a few more children move to the area, the class sizes will be really small!  The teachers always do their best to meet the needs of the students - both the ones that fall behind and the ones who are ahead and we left the session feeling excited to be a part of this great community.  Camden had a great time and is saying that he's really excited to start Kindergarten in the fall.  I know I'll be a weepy mess on the first few days of school, but I'm hopeful that he'll make a smooth transition and that we're doing the right thing for our boy.  He always makes me so proud to be his Mama and I'm excited to see what the future holds for him!

Camden with his two best friends at preschool.  He loves his girls!  

He's playing T-Ball for the first time this year and it's pretty precious to see him in this setting...

 I get this look often...

I love my Bubba!

Closing Ceremony

Camden just finished his first year of preschool and we couldn't be more proud of the growth that we've seen in our little man this year.  He was so tentative and so nervous before school started in the fall.  His birthday is in August and he kept telling us that he didn't want to have his birthday because he didn't want to turn four and have to go to preschool!  Poor little guy!  It was a big transition for him!  After being by Mama's side for four straight years of his life he was suddenly expected to experience something new and scary all on his own!  He only attended school two mornings a week, but it was a perfect amount of time for him.  He still had days home with his buddy, Micah, but he was also having an experience all of his own.  We had three days early on in September where he would cling to me and cry and say that he wasn't going to stay (he was more being stubborn than anything else...I had to tear myself away from him and reassure him that he would be just fine).  But when I climbed into the car I was the one who wasn't sure if I was going to make it.  Luckily, his teachers were amazing and would call me as soon as he settled down so that I would know he was OK and could move on with my day.  Those three days were so challenging, but even though it felt like it was going to go on like that forever, within a week or so he stopped crying and said goodbye without any tears.  By the end of the year he was confident, excited about learning, had new friends (mostly adorable little girls...hmmm...), loved his teachers and can't wait to go back next year and be a leader and helper as one of the oldest kids in the multi-age classroom.  (Although he makes the cutoff date for Kindergarten, he would be very young for his class and we have decided to give him one more year of preschool before sending him on his way.  I have lots of thoughts and reasoning behind this, but that is another post altogether.  Coming your way soon!)

Look at the difference between these two photos.  He did a lot of growing up this year!

Last week we attended Camden's closing ceremony where he and his friends performed a couple songs.  Camden's special role was as a Stop Sign in the song "Kookaburra" - it was pretty precious!  We were so lucky that my Mom and Grandma Sylvia, as well as Scott's parents and cousin, Nate, were all able to join us for the special evening!  Camden was SO proud and did an amazing job (he was seriously leading the entire class in the song)!

 The stage...

 Stop Signs!  Stop, Kookaburra, Stop Kookabura!

 So proud of himself!

 Camden's friend who is moving on to kindergarten receiving her necklace and star...

 Here is Camden's star.  It will be cut down at next year's closing ceremony when he moves on to kindergarten...

 Camden and his best friend...

 Love this boy...

 After the ceremony, we took the boys for an ice cream at Dairy Queen...they were pretty excited!

We are so thankful that we found such an incredible place for our children to have their first educational experience.  Red Oak is a safe, caring, nurturing, challenging and all around amazing environment and we are so excited for Micah and Sadie have these wonderful experiences as well in the future!  Thanks for a great year Red Oak Montessori!!!

Montessori Preschool

My little Camden is all grown up!  He is attending preschool this year for the very first time.  After four years of being home with Mama full-time, he now goes to a little Montessori school two mornings a week from 8:00-11:30!  We are so happy that we found such a wonderful, safe, challenging environment for him (we just wish it wasn't 20 minutes away!  Ugh!) and he really seems to be loving it so far.  Unfortunately, after happily being dropped off for the first two weeks, this past week brought major tears and yelling - He's not really sad, he's just being stubborn and acting angry and making my life, and his teachers lives, much more difficult for about 7 minutes.  Then he's completely fine.  His teachers call me or text me within 10 minutes to assure me that he's fine, and I continually feel thankful that we have found a school with such a personal touch.  When I pick him up he's happy and talking a mile-a-minute about his day.  But he told me tonight he's still going to scream when I drop him off...it's like it's a decision he's made and he's sticking to it.  I'm telling you, this is one stubborn kid.  Overall, though, we are loving our experience and are so excited to see our little man learning new things every day.

Here are the boys with their special breakfast before the first day of Preschool in September...

 We needed to take a few pictures before loading into the car!

 Micah totally cracks me up in this picture...

 He was a little nervous!

 What studs!  :)

 Showing off his new backpack!  Such a big boy!

 Standing in front of his cubby on Day #1...

 I may have shed a tear...

 Here are some pictures of his classroom.  Montessori is such a unique and amazing opportunity and he is really loving it!

 Behind that little fence is the snack/lunch area.  Camden is allowed to go to his cubby and get his snack at any point throughout the day if he's hungry and sit in that little area with friends to eat.  

 Micah wishes he could go here too!

 We joined the class for International Day of Peace even though it wasn't on our regularly scheduled day.  The kids made pinwheels and we all sang a song that they sing together in circle time.  It was pretty cute. 

 "Light a Candle for Peace"

A couple of the other Mom's and kids...Camden is buddies with the little girl in the purple shirt.  Isn't she adorable?!?!

Hopefully we won't get too burned out on the drive because this seems to be a great fit for Camden.  Here's to hoping I drop him off to no tears this week.  yeah right...