Proud Mom Moment

Hi! My name is Toni and I'm a mother, wife, friend, sister, daughter, cousin, aunt, niece and granddaughter (I'm also a sister-in-law and daughter-in-law but I love them all so dearly that I just consider them my sisters and parents). I am all of these roles, as is every woman around me. So, when I begin to write this little journal entry, I don't do it thinking I'm the only proud momma out there. But I just have to get this out......

I have the most amazing children! They also play many roles in life. They are good friends, children, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren. They are fearless. They are courageous. They are outgoing. They are healthy. They are gentle and they are caring. They know Jesus loves them and they love him just as much.

So what is prompting me to start typing......All three of my amazing kids have impressed me over the past two weeks. I want to climb to highest mountain and shout as loud as I can, "JB2, The Lady, The Little are amazing!!!" I want the entire world to know these kids.

Honestly, I'm not surprised at how amazing they are, really. But my heart is truly full today knowing that they are all taking control of their education career. Here's what has happened.....

First, The Lady is prepping to enter Middle School. This is a big transition for her and for the family. She will be in a more independent environment, taking control of most of  her actions. She will make decisions that I wish I could make for her. She will want me to be around her less but she will need me more. She will grow taller and change the way she dresses. She will probably make new friends and have a few more crushes that will truly break her heart (along with my heart). I'm not looking forward to most of this but I'm excited for her, nonetheless.

Recently, she had to fill out her first course selection card. When she brought it home it was completely filled out, all it needed was my signature. She had made some choices that make me shine with pride. She didn't care about her dyslexia in that moment; we've always told her that she could do anything anyone else can do and sometimes, these are really hard discussions. But this time, she made the decision to take two Pre-Advance-Placement classes (Math and Reading/English), which is the maximum amount a 6th grader can take. WOW. WOW. WOW......I looked at the card and said, "WOW! Good job!" She responded with such amazing confidence and courage, "Mom, all my friends are taking these classes and so am I." Then she walked away to play a video game or something......WOW!!! Usually I wouldn't encourage going with what the crowd is doing, but in this case, more power to her!!!

Then, The Little comes home after a long week of pre-k and asks if I can help her with her homework. She already has a little bit of homework to do each week, but this was different. She was asking me to sit down with her and help her write words.....she is still learning the alphabet, mind you.......So her Dad and I each sat with her and wrote out some words, like cat, dog, ran, mom, dad, etc... Then she copied them. Then she asked for her markers and some plain paper. Then she drew a house next to a tree that had a swing in it. Then she asked her brother to help her learn to draw a boy. Then she was done. All of this took about 15 minutes, but it was a great 15 minutes. She is hungry to learn what her brother and sister already know. She is so anxious to read and write (and type as fast as me). In the next few weeks we will start preparing for her to go to "big-kid school". I'm not really looking forward to it, I know I will cry on that first day. I'm crying now, just thinking about it..... But I know she will have a good head-start and that she is going to a great school with teachers who already care about her. I'm so proud of her and only see amazing things in her future!!

The Boy, oh, The Boy! He really ceases to amaze me. He's almost as tall as I am and wearing shoes as big as his dad's, and he is also preparing for his big 8th grade year. I totally thought I knew what I would see when he brought home his course selection card. But, oh, what I saw.....speechless. He had chosen two Pre-Advanced Placement classes (that's not the surprising part) and also two electives that will help him start his high school career. O.M.G. What was I seeing? Could this be true?  He was now thinking ahead and I loved it!! Now lets talk about math.....for most of last year and most of this year, his Math grade has been close to 100 but he refuses to take Pre-AP Math. I think he's a little scared/intimidated with the amount of work. But next year he has three math options: On-level Math, Pre-AP Math, and Pre-AP Algebra. When we asked him why he didn't choose Pre-AP Algebra, he almost shut us down; he didn't want to talk about it. But when we explained what Algebra was and how this course could also help him get an even bigger head start in high school, he, without hesitation, changed his math choice. My boy is going all out next year!!! Three Pre-AP courses and two courses that will give him high school credits. He. Is. Amazing.

Yes, we are not fooling ourselves, next year is going to be a big year for all of our kids. But we are dedicated to their success inside school as well as outside of school. And we know this is just part of being a parent. Our pride is overwhelming!!

Okay, proud mom rant is coming to a close. I love my family; I love my life. I count my many blessings every day! I do not take them for the for granted......

Cheers.