Last Day Of School

We finished up another school year yesterday. We now have a first grader, a 4th grader, a 6th grader and an 8th grader in the house! We had a busy week with many activities and award ceremonies. I don't know which was harder seeing our little Cani Bear graduate from Kindergarten or Little Red graduating from Elem school. It DOES NOT feel like 6 years since she started school. To think that Cani Bear was a newborn when she started....now look at life!
Patrick and I aren't the bragging type. Always proud but don't discuss it often with other people. But it's kind of hard NOT to recognize how awesome they all ended the year on. Cani Bear got Top Reader of Kindergarten reading 80 words a minute. When I talked with the reading specialist she said to let him read on a second grade level over the Summer that he could have easily read beyond what he did but she only tested to a certain level. He got accepted into GT so he will be in GT level classes for the rest of his time in school! The reading specialist also laughed (knowing me since before I was married) remembering when Cani Bear was born and she said the little bull in a china cabinet sure is different at school he has done really well! Lets just hope he continues down that same path and doesn't start getting comfortable and/or bored and show his true personality! Squeaks finished up the year with all A's and was the only one in her class to ace the math portion of her TAKS test (even scored better than the top kid in the grade) For starting the school year in tears skipping class asking to be homeschooled she came a long way and had a great year. She has never and will never like change and she is just much more shy so adjusting to things takes her a while. But this was a year that really helped build her confidence and she proved a lot to herself! Red got several awards at her awards ceremony including presidential award for exceptional grades. Her teacher could not talk more about what a wonderful leader she is. Next year will be a whole new adventure for her and probably a bit of a reality check when she gets to meet ALL the 6th graders in town. I know though with her personality she will easily hold her own in life. :) Big C continues to do wonderful! He was choosen as outstanding 7th grade boy, voted class most intellectual (did I spell that right) :) got accepted into the PALS program, voted class vice president AND made all A's all year except for one 89. He will be in mainly 9th grade classes next year even getting high school credit for some. The more he gets out of the way leaves more doors open for college credit while he's in high school. That would be FREE college credit. :) Of course we are always proud of our kids accomplishments but I think above and beyond what they acheive is the teachers and other parents comments as we pick them up. People in the general public (ok and some family) are quick to judge our family when they have to put the car in neutral to let us cross the street and we take all the stupid comments that come as we walk through the store. Because when those who know us and have watched our children grow come up compliment them and get excited to see we are expecting another one because as they say "we'd like a whole classroom of kids like these" one comment like that from an aquaintence trumps a dozen stupid large family comments anyday!! So we end the chapter on another school year. With full expectations of having a summer of just plum FUN! I know it won't happen but with as little hussle and bussle as possible so I can recharge to survive the Fall with 7 active kiddos!!