Goodbye First Grade

I've been a mommy for nearly 8 years now - including the day I found out I was pregnant - and it still amazes me to see how fast my babies are growing up. With each passing milestone I find it a challenge to let go and let my kids grow into the people God intended them to be.

Today we went to Jay's school for the class party celebrating the last day of school and it occurred to me that this child has spent the last 10 months improving her reading skills, learning to write in complete - quite fabulous I might add - sentences that her writer mother can be proud of, and taking care of her classmates in her own little mommy way. She's accomplished so much in such a short time and is even a whole 4 feet 4 inches tall when all is said and done.

At the beginning of the school year I was worried about Jay. Not worried, maybe just concerned about her lack of focus in class. I can send the child upstairs to get something and she'll come back down only to ask me what it was I asked for. She had forgotten. This Jay I can handle and tolerate at home, but this Jay is not permitted in the classroom. The way I see it (hehe), teachers don't make enough to spend all day with our children and have my child in lala land. Jay is there to learn and learn she shall.

Anyway, Mrs. H told me, one day, that Jay is ditzy. Side note: That p*ssed me off to no end. I think as a teacher she could have found a better, more intelligent way to tell me my child lacks focus. She couldn't complete assignments in the allotted time because she would just lose focus. That was first semester...second semester Jay surprised us all with her ability to not only complete her work but do so well that she was running circles around her "old self" and many of her classmates. I'm not sure what it was that brought this change about, but I was proud when Mrs. H showed us how she was excelling. Call my baby ditzy...hmph.

Jay is an intelligent child, but she's also a social child - when I prayed that the baby growing inside me would be like its father, God came through. And on many occassions I realize I should have prefaced that request, but here we are 7 years later. Jay has a lot of friends and during this school year, to my surprise, there was a lot of girlfriend drama. One day "Patty" didn't want to play with "Jamie" or "Mary" and "Tricia" ganged up on Jay on the school bus or "Tricia" pushed Jay because, well that's just how "Tricia" is. My goodness, who knew it started so early? We girls have to do better. This was part of my schpiel this school year just as much as the importance of neatness and completion of homework was. My goodness...what are we in for?

First grade was a bumpy ride, we all learned a lot. I just pray that the new school Jay attends will offer as much, even more, advancement for her in her education. She's such a smart, witty, fun-loving and helpful little girl - I beam with pride when I look at her and realize I had a little something to do with that.