The First and Last Day

The time between the first and the last day of school doesn’t seem like a lot, but the changes it brings is incredible and what is accomplished is great. Time moves quickly and in the blink of an eye our children have grown more and changed. Those changes might seem slight to most but they are big to mommy and daddy, who would give anything to slow down time.
Back in September, when Abby started school, she still had the last traces of her toddler years in her face. Her cheeks were still chubby and the way she moved was still a bit unbalanced and awkward. She was three years old but only a few weeks away from her fourth birthday. Abby started the year a bit shy but so excited to start school and make friends. She was also excited to buy a new pair of shoes and some clothes to start the year too.

Fast forward to the last day of school. While she still has her cute, chubby little cheeks her face has slimmed out a bit and so has the rest of her body. She has grown a few inches since September and with that she lost some of that chubbiness. The traces of her toddler years are now gone and she now looks like a little girl only a year away from grade school. The shoes we bought her on the first day no longer fit. We had to throw them out back in February as they were too small and too worn out to pass on. She has become even more confident, outgoing and imaginative then ever but the one thing that hasn’t changed is her love of school.

Some of the biggest changes though are the ones you cannot see just by looking at Abby.They are the changes that you have to look for on paper, in conversations and in play with friends or on her own.

At the beginning of the year Abby could barely write her own name and knew most of her letters by sight. Her drawings were mostly scribbles and shapes.

Now she can write her name in upper case letters very well and is working on using upper and lower case letters. She knows her alphabet by sight and knows a majority of her letter sounds too. She knows her numbers from one to ten and is working on counting to twenty (she keeps leaving 14 and 15 out, poor little guys). Her drawings have become more detailed and artistic. She draws beautiful trees and people as well as rainbows and animals. She can identify patterns, cut out shapes with scissors and loves to tape and paste things together. Her conversations have become even more detailed and imaginative and she asks questions about everything. She wants to know how everything works and why even when mommy and daddy dont have the right answers or answers that she will understand.

The change in Abby over the last nine months has been significant and so positive. I cant express my gratitude enough to her teachers. While the thought of her last day of school and growing up a little more makes me want to cry, I am also so proud and excited for all of her accomplishments. The future is bright and I cannot wait to see what it brings. I am sure there will be some tears along the way from me but they are not tears of sorrow but of happiness and pride. I cannot wait to see the changes that occur between the first and last days of school next year!

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