You have grown so much in the past year and with that a distinct change has happened, you are officially school age and learning to navigate the world without your parents constantly by your side. The leap from five to six feels pretty monumental. I kept you home with me on the days I wasn't working last year and at the time my internal dialog was mixed as to whether that was the right decision. There were many days when I was ready to pull my hair out and thought you would be better served in more structured activities. But now that you're in kindergarten you are gone so much that I am grateful we had that time together, and we squeezed the most of our your preschool days. What felt like almost too much togetherness at times is now something I will always cherish.
You are excelling in kindergarten. You have made some great friends and get along with everyone in your class. You've learned how to handle it when people are unkind and how to navigate dynamic social situations. You were the first to win the "Terrific Kid" award and your teacher adores you. You love getting hot lunch at school and love both your teacher, Mrs. Nislen, and her daughter (whom you've never met), Claire. It's amazing how quickly you have learned to write, add and count and you're well on your way to reading. Your best friends are Tucker, Hudson and Logan. Since starting kindergarten you have made significant strides in your speech articulation. Learning which letters make which sounds was a total game changer and now you understand what people are talking about when they correct your speech. The one thing Mrs. Nilsen suggested you work on is taking your time to do your best work. You're still super obsessed with riding the bus and think that Mr. Dan is the best bus driver a kid could ask for.
One thing that I've learned this year is that you like to know what to expect. If you can think through and anticipate what is going to happen, you're good to go. When you get caught off guard or show up to something different than what you imagined it throws you for a loop and you have a hard time coping. Your favorite pass time is playing school. You relish in being the teacher and getting the chance to do all the talking while insisting that everyone else be silent. You played your first true season of soccer and some days you didn't want to show up, but you did. You got to know some really great kids by being a part of the team and it was a fun experience for the whole family. You love army guys and much to my delight, musicals.
You've had a lot of questions about what happens after you die and what heaven is like in recent days.You've been asking questions about God and wanting to read the bible. There is a reason that Jesus commanded faith like a child and endearing to watch Him come to life in you.
You love having your back scratched before bed and that's when you usually unload anything that has been upsetting you. I love working through issues that are on your mind and having some sweet quite time so we always end the day on a positive note. I hope that you never stop sharing the deepest worries and desires of your heart with me. You've had a gentleness and tenderness within you since the day you were born and it has continued to shine through the past year. Watching you grow and learning more about who you are with each passing year is my greatest joy. I love you, my six year old Owen, with every fiber of my being.
xoxo,
Your loving Mama
