School's Out For Summer

I cannot believe that school is out for the summer! This year went by sooo fast! Maybe that's because it was Logan's first official school year. Maybe it's because there were NO snow days and they are getting out earlier. Either way, it went by incredibly fast. It seems like just yesterday we were touring Logan's preschool classroom, and here we are now, getting ready to say good-bye.

It was a great year. We could not have asked for a better school experience. His teachers were fantastic. He made lots of new friends. He learned A LOT. And now, he's going to kindergarten.

I remember waking up super early his first day of school. He was asleep on the air mattress next to our bed. I looked at him and just cried and cried and cried. How was my baby old enough to be going off to preschool? How was I going to handle dropping him off with people I had barely met? And, how was he going to do in a new place with unfamiliar faces?

Logan's first day of preschool.

Logan's first day of preschoo, when I dropped him off. Isn't the face hilarious!

It turned out I had nothing to worry about. I didn't shed a tear when I dropped him off that morning. His teacher took our picture, and then she took him off to play since he was being a little hesitant (but no tears). I got in the car thinking that was just a bit too easy. So of course, his favorite song at the time, "Mean," by Taylor Swift came home. Ok...so I did tear up. But he had a great day and brought home a lovely handprint craft.

Our rocky spot in the school year came at the end of the first nine weeks when his teacher expressed her concerns involving his speech, and suggested having him screened. I was angry. I was angry because he had been screened at age 3 and I expressed my own concerns with his speech and they blew me off. And I was angry at myself for not pursuing it more when I felt he had a problem. I was also really shocked when she said he wasn't writing his name at all. He had done it at home, so I was floored that he wasn't doing it at school. I left that first conference feeling beat. Feeling that I had failed somewhere along the line.

But...things got better. They always do. Logan qualified for speech services and spent the rest of the school year going once a week for help. It's made a difference, and I'm anxious to see if he will need it next year. He, finally, started writing his name after winter break, after I told the teachers it was ok to push him a little harder. We are really going to hit the printing hard over the summer.

He has rocked at learning site words (a list of around 35). He also started sounding out words. I think we may be able to read some (very) short stories by the end of summer. He has also really gotten into his Leapster and some Super Why games on the iPod, so those have really helped him in reading and phonics skills. I've been amazed at the things he has came home and told me. He loves having Bible stories read to him, and entertains us with his version of prayers. I've heard in and the rest of his class have done excellent during Mass, and his behavior in church with us has improved.

Last night was his Preschool Good-Bye program. I'm so glad that they did not do a mini graduation. As cute as little caps and gowns are, I don't think I could have handled it. I got teary when I noticed all their names up in the kindergarten wall. The program was short and sweet and not......mushy. He got a certificate and then we went out to dinner at a place of his choosing....Steak n Shake.

Preschool Good-Bye

Today was supposed have been his last day as a preschooler, but he woke up a little ill this morning and I kept him home. I went to the school later in the morning to pick up his "stuff," and in the bag was his progress report (pretty much all 3s!) and a red binder. I wondered all year what they were doing with those binders. They made a scrapbook! There was the picture Miss Tracy took on the first day of school, pictures from field trips and parties, drawings, writing...all kinds of things I will treasure forever. The last picture was a picture of him in front of the school sign, similar to the picture I took of him the first day of school. The page read "Kindergarten Here I Come!"  I cried. Not because of kindergarten, but because I was so happy that his teacher got this picture, because we didn't get to do that picture today.

How Logan spent the last day of school.

While today isn't last day of school I envisioned, I am determined to make this a summer to remember with my little man. Time goes by way to quickly, and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon.

Kindergarten here I come! (sorry, it's a picture of a picture). You can't tell from this pic, but his first and last day of school he wore turtle shirts!