I DID IT! Er, I mean HE did it!

A little over nine months ago, I sent zj off to his first day of kindergarten.

And now today is his last day.

I'll admit, I was a little (ok, a LOT) apprehensive about sending him to kindergarten at the beginning of the school year.  He wasn't ready.  I wasn't ready.  He was too fidgety to sit still in class all day.  I wasn't ready.  He might benefit from another year at home with me before he started.  I wasn't ready.  I could wait a year and he would be in a better position to excel.  I wasn't ready.


But I did send him, and then I pretty much sat back and enjoyed the show...  and what a show it has been.

Before he started school, he could barely write his name, his letter recognition was mostly based around whatever letters his favorite superheroes had on their chests, and counting stopped at "twenty-teen."  Even though it made me insane, he just wasn't interested in reading and writing and learning from me.

Now he can add and subtract, write sentences and paragraphs, and read.  Whole books.  

I'm amazed at how far he's come.

He also spent a large part of the year starting to learn to navigate the tricky, tricky world of relationships and friendships, and what he has learned will set the tone for his life.

He came home from school one day last week talking about playing at recess with a girl in his class.  "I wanted to play with her, Mama.  Sometimes the other kids don't talk to her much and I wanted her to have a friend to play with."

God, I love that boy.  

He has also learned to exert his preferences (like taking his lunch to school and getting a spiky haircut) in a way that makes me listen, and occasionally even give in.

Overall, I feel like this year, for zj, has been mainly about learning to use his powers for good instead of evil.  He's bright, and thoughtful, and thanks to a great teacher, a great school, and whatever love and support RJ and I could throw his way, his energies and skills are being channeled in the right direction.

Finally.

So hold on, first grade.

Here he comes.