Last Day

 Today is the last day of my Tate's Kindergarten year.  It's been an exceptionally long year for the little guy.  He started school on August 1st in Denver at Pine Ridge Elementary, just around the corner from our home.  

 He had two full days of school and then a half day on Friday mornings too.

He seemed so little to be going to school all day long.  To be eating lunch at school without me for the first time ever.  His teacher, Ms. Watkins was amazing with him.  He was a little emotional at times with the impending move and dealing with me being so so sick and she was always ready with a hug and encouragement.  She even let him prepare a little presentation about Saudi that he showed the class on his last week.  He spent just 9 weeks at Pine Ridge and then his class went off track and we moved to Saudi Arabia.  

A couple of weeks later he started school at Dhahran Hills Elementary.  Without a doubt the hardest part of this move for me has been living out on Rakah camp and sending my little Tate to school on a bus every day.  Not being able to get over there and help out in his classroom like I'd like to or to pick him up for lunch.  Knowing that I wouldn't be able to get in my car and pick him up if something went wrong or if he was just having a bad day.  But our location hasn't bothered Tate a bit.  He has absolutely shined this year.  He has come home almost every day and told us how much fun he had and how much he learned.  He's reading incredibly well and enjoys it so much.  Often we'll come into a room and hear him reading softly to himself, completely absorbed in a new book from the school library or just one he picked off our shelf.  It's been magical this year to see how excited he is about reading.  Ms. Karr couldn't have been more perfect for him.  We love her and are going to miss her so much next year.  She loves Tate and knows just how to appreciate his strengths and encourage him to improve where he was weak.  She taught them not only about counting and reading skills but also about problem solving strategies and filling other people's buckets.  Being kind and working together.  

Tate was so excited all week that this was his last week of school.  He's been in Kindergarten for an exhausting 11 months.  A LONG 11 months of hot sweaty recesses and shoes filled with sand.  Of lunches eaten in the gym and naps on the bus ride home.  He has so earned a nice summer break.  But this morning he woke up and was a little quiet.  A little reserved.  I asked him how he was feeling and he told me he was a little sad that Kindergarten was over.  We talked about times when we feel sad that things are over and how important it is to look back and remember all of the great things that happened that year.  We talked about moving, new friends, new teachers, new sisters.  Learning to read and play the piano.  Traveling to new places and being together as a family.  Days at the pool, bowling and tennis and parks.  His face started to light up as if someone switched a light switch.  We've got this Tate.  We have had an incredible year and I am ridiculously proud of my Tate.  He has weathered this year with a maturity and perseverance beyond his years.   He has come up against clingy classmates, mean kids on the bus, challenging curriculum, and very little play time after school and he has let it all roll off like a champ.  Watching him master this experience has given me strength when I feel myself crumbling.  I'm just so proud to be his mom today.  

Taking last day pictures this morning I felt so grateful to be the momma of these darling, amazing kiddos.  Double the kiddos we began the school year with.  

Happy last day, Tate.  Let's play hard this summer!  We've earned it!