I went to Kindergarten last week. When I went to drop Jackson off at school on Wednesday he wouldn't let go of my hand. He was anxious and unsure. There have been a lot of changes in his schedule lately as we try to find the best fit for him. He's been back and forth between classrooms and all the uncertainty seemed to have caught up to him. So I walked him down the hall and explained we were going to the big kindergarten class. When we entered the classroom he still wouldn't let go of my Continue Reading
When Your Story Requires A lot of Courage
I shared the following on my Facebook page yesterday - mainly because I needed to put my thoughts into words and writing is my therapy. But then I found myself wanting to go a little deeper; to share those same thoughts here. Maybe because I'm 100% certain that when we're transparent and vulnerable about our struggles God will use it for His glory. I believe when we are courageous enough to share the not so pretty parts of our lives we give others permission to share their not so pretty stories, Continue Reading
When Teaching Him Intimidates Me
As a little girl I played school every waking moment. I had a real grade book, my fifth grade teacher would send me home with real worksheets and I had a red pen for grading! I wanted to be a teacher. I started my college career as an education major. You'd think after loving school and wanting to be a teacher I'd be thrilled to sit down and teach Jackson. Don't get me wrong, we've always worked on our ABC's and 123's. We've read books together since he was a newborn. I teach him; Continue Reading
To My Son On Your First Day of Kindergarten
We've been talking about this day for months; you've daily asked if it was time to go to kindergarten. Each time we drive by your new school you exclaim, Jackson's Kindergarten! and often follow up with a fist pump for emphasis. You're so excited and I hope nothing snuffs that out. Your Lightening McQueen backpack and matching lunchbox are ready. You've met your teacher and checked out your classroom. Today I will walk you in and although I'm excited for you, I'm also a little Continue Reading
Feeling Hopeful About Kindergarten
He's been asking to go to Kindergarten all summer. We've visited his school and met his teacher. We are now eight days from the first day of school. He's pumped and I'm a big bag of mixed feelings. Last year was a difficult year. We were in a school district where kids like Jackson easily fall through the cracks. If you didn't have an Autism diagnosis or a severe disability, there wasn't really a place for you. Jackson often came across as just a behavior problem. We knew early on that the Continue Reading