Our Kindergarten Graduate

I've been a little light on my blogging lately.  In part it was because I was still observing the year of mourning for my father.  The other part was because I didn't want to go on about school until we made it through.  Call me a bit superstitious.  As I type, the Babe is finishing her last day of kindergarten.  We attended her graduation yesterday. 

We are so thankful for how this school year went.  First off, we got an amazing teacher.  The Babe loves her, as do the rest of her classmates.  She's kind, caring, patient, and truly enjoys her class.  Beyond her personality though, she's an excellent teacher.  I volunteered many mornings in the classroom, assisting with kid writing.  The progress I saw from the start of the year until now is impressive.  The Babe started the year with skills that not all her classmates had.  Some kids couldn't recognize the alphabet, and now are writing short paragraphs in neat print.  They know what narrative, persuasive, and fiction writing is.  The Babe can do simple addition.  When she reads aloud to me, its a beautiful thing. 

This has been a wonderful experience.  We feared whether the Babe would be safe in a school environment.  Working with her school, we set safeguards in place.  Her teacher went above and beyond- worrying over things that weren't necessarily identified as potential hazards in the beginning.  She watched over all the kids, but I knew the Babe was protected.  Next year will be a little different as the Babe will be attending school for the full day including lunch.  We will be addressing this later in the summer, but for now, we are thrilled with the experience so far.

As for the Babe herself, she made friends, got to experience the playground, and just overall thrived in school.  During their graduation they performed several songs.  Some had moves added.  The Babe was the kid up there with a smile, shaking her hips and moving her shoulders.  I think if there was an agent present, they would have approached us.  That's not something we want to pursue, but the Babe certainly doesn't have stage fright.    My next challenge will be finding ways to keep the Babe busy this summer without breaking the bank or driving me crazy.