Preschool Graduation and Mommy is Sappy

Two years of preschool went by so quickly.  At the end of May E graduated and the little ceremony his school held was perfect.  I can clearly remember back to picking preschools and how overwhelming the decision seemed.  Ethan is so outgoing and loves learning, we knew he would thrive, but finding the right fit was the concern, that and he had just turned 3. 

It's always special to look back on something and see God's hands working.  We had a little bit of a rough start, but Ethan learned a lot about himself in those two years, we learned a lot about ourselves as parents too.  Academically, Ethan has always excelled and we have always made that a priority, whether a child loves to learn or not, you can reach them in so many ways when they are young.  Being Ethan's first teacher has been so special to me, I love to watch him put things together and build his confidence. 

The biggest praise we received this year is that you could not tell Ethan had 4 baby brothers in this school year.  He was confident and comfortable in his preschool setting and at home and that meant the absolute world to us because a happy Ethan and 4 healthy babies is all we could ever ask for.  We are so proud of him. 

We are also beyond grateful to Ethan's teachers and his school's director.  They create a safe, loving, caring, fun environment and they sure don't do it for the pay!  They have supported our family in so many ways and have touched our hearts forever. 

He is beyond excited to enter Kindergarten.  And is reading first grade level books and flying through them.  Even more than reading is the comprehension, he understands what he reads and picks up on things I miss.  His teachers commented that they had never had a child reading at his level so early on.  He also can do math, just yesterday counting his months backwards to figure out what month it was when his brothers were 2 months old and today declaring in the car that 5 is the middle of 10! 

Just the other day we were at "teacher store" nearby - Ethan, Liam, and I.  The woman overheard Ethan and said to me, it's a shame you don't have more children, he is so polite and a teacher's dream.  I did mention that I had 3 other baby boys at home (which led to a whole other discussion), but how sweet were those words, especially in the moments I doubt, second-guess, etc.  These moments are gifts from God. 

Why do I mention these things, not to overinflate ourselves - if you truly know us and know me, you know I am quite hard on myself and it's nice to hear the positive.  First and foremost I want Ethan to read this someday and be proud of himself, to know his foundation is strong, solid and he has every reason to be completely confident.  We have already been a part of, when there is something good, people will always try to knock it down, and E, you have no reason not to shine because you are one incredible little guy.  While there will be hard years and tough times, while we can certainly do things better as parents, we don't want you to doubt ever that we gave it our all, will continue to, and E, you always have us in your pocket, on your side, doing whatever we can to help you become who God intended you to be.  And this my dear sweet E is just the beginning!!