I can't believe my little man is actually old enough to be finished with Kindergarten! As I sit here and reflect over the last few years, I can't believe how time just flashes before your eyes. I know I say all the time that "time flies" but wow. It really does.
Just for fun I had to compare the beginning of the year. A lot of his favorites have stayed the same, but there's been a major shift to Ninja Turtles! And his favorite color is now green because the Ninja Turtles are green! His favorite food is pizza because the turtles love pizza. I think it's amazing how much he changed in a year. He looks like a little boy now- no more baby.
And for even more fun... here was his first day of his last year of Preschool. Look at THAT baby face! Ha! And I remember I thought he looked so old here. There's that "time flies" phrase again...
And check this out! Since we are moving I'm going through old photos and this just floored me! This was his very first day we ever took him to "school" (day care). He was two years old (August 2009). This was long before the days of Pinterest so I didn't do anything fancy with the picture or put his favorites on it (of course I couldn't have thought of that idea on my own! Ha!)
First day of "School" at Treehouse. This center has been the most wonderful place for our kids.
I will never forget the day I toured this center and I fell in love with it, and the owner, Missey. We still laugh about the fact that the Ladybug class (2 yr olds) had these little tables and chairs where the kids sat and ate, and I was convinced he wouldn't sit there (he had never sat anywhere besides a high chair or a booster seat and he was strapped in!) so Missey sent a chair home with me for him to "practice!" Ha! I thought it was the most wonderful place I could have imagined, and it truly was. We were so blessed. I am panicking now because I have found nothing even close to this place in our new town. There will never be another place like it.
Here is the little miss on her (almost) last day! I hadn't planned on taking her picture so she's a mess but she has to do everything her Bubba does so she started posing and I couldn't resist! Even though she's covered in mac n cheese and her hair is a disaster! Ha!
And just for fun, here is a first and last for her... the picture on the left was the Spring of 2012 when she was finishing the Butterfly class (baby room) at day care. The right one is her recent (Spring 2013) photo from the Ladybug class. I seriously cannot even believe how much she's changed in a year.
She is so full of personality!
Here are some of the other pictures I took that day and couldn't decide which one to use for her "favorites."
I love this look! Ha!
With the ending of his last year of school in our town, we also ended one of the most special relationships we have formed over the years (although we hope it will continue and we can keep in touch with this very special lady!) This is "Miss Carol." She truly has become like a "grandma" to Andrew over the years. She is a teacher of children who have hearing loss. We were introduced to her when Andrew was only 5 months old and had just been fitted for hearing aids. She came to our house to work with him every week for 2 years when I was home with him. She always had the neatest and most fun activities and he just loved her. She had a special "bag" full of fun things and he couldn't wait to see what was inside and each time it was something different and new and fun. She taught him so many things, I don't even know where to begin. But it is safe to say she's become like a member of the family and we truly love her so much!
Miss Carol and Andrew on their last day together in Kindergarten
I was so happy to hear that once I went back to work and Andrew started in the Ladybug class, Miss Carol just followed him! She went there to work with him instead of our house. She continued with him to 3 different elementary schools for preschool the next 2 years, and then to his Kindergarten class. She was the one constant person in his life with all the changing from day care, to schools, etc. I was always comforted to know that she would be showing up wherever he was and I knew he would feel safe and secure knowing someone wherever he went. Thank you, Carol, for everything you have done for our son. You are truly an amazing person!
This was Andrew's shirt which he wore on the last day of school- it says "Summer is Awesome!" which I think is quite appropriate! Ha! Bring on summer... we intend to have a great one (even though it's going to consist of a lot of packing, moving and unpacking!) We hope to sprinkle in some fun along the way!
