Kindergarten

She is ready.

 

Ben and I have had several conversations since the birth of our little sunshine about when she would be starting kindergarten. Most of the conversations included results from psychology studies about children who are in the bottom age range of their class and those who are in the top. Yes. I said "psychological studies". The consensus seemed to be that younger children in an older class setting didn't do as well as those who were older - and that wasn't even mentioning sports or extra-curricular activities. At least I think this was the consensus he was talking about. I have to admit that I zoned out once or twice when I felt statistics coming into play. Just kidding, Ben! Not really, but you already know I am not perfect and if my brain power must be used to decipher statistics of kindergartners I'm going to check out for a moment to save some brain power for all the other things you say that I have to decipher. We can't all be blessed with a photographic memory and human-calculator-like math skills. :) *phew* That was quite the tangent.

What we finally agreed that it came down to was if we felt Hope was ready for school when she turned five. Now, let me take a moment and make a confession. I did not teach her at home like I should have been doing these past five years. She is not entering kindergarten with the ability to read, she does not know EVERY SINGLE LETTER of the alphabet, but she does know several. She can write her name (first and last), she knows her shapes and colors, she can count to 20 with minimal mistakes. I have friends whose children are in Hope's class and they can read. I did not do that with Hope. Yes, one of my many mommyhood regrets, but I am hoping to do better with Eden. Hope is, however, very eager to learn and she is a socially mature for a five year old. She follows directions well, and more importantly is excited to learn and be in school! That is how I know she is ready.

 

Ben disagreed with me for a while, until I finally dug it out of him that HE was really the one who wasn't ready for his little Hopie to start growing up. He took time off work so that he could go with me to drop her off and pick her up for her first day. What a good daddy.

 

 

Hope was so excited that she woke up early that morning and wanted to get dressed right away so she could go to kindergarten. She was disappointed when I told her it would still be several hours before her class started. But to help pass the time, she helped me make her first day of school poster with sunshines on it, because well...when she grows up she wants to be a "Big Sunshine".

 

 

A couple of days before school actually started, she had her assessment and got her first assignment! Her first project was that along with mommy and daddy she was to make this girl cut-out look like herself.

 

 

I had some fabric scraps that we glued on as her clothes and I had some horse stickers that she put on the shirt of the doll to match the purple shirt she is actually wearing in this picture.

 

 

Hope made a little necklace that we attached to the doll and she and daddy made some silver painted shoes to match Hope's sparkly Sunday shoes. Then daddy printed out a picture of Hope and we glued it on.

 

 

It turned out pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. Hope was concerned about leaving it at school. She didn't want it to get ruined.

 

 

Here she is getting tired of pictures. Just a few more Hope!

Eden wanted in on all the fun too and found Hope's old Strawberry Shortcake backpack to wear.

 

 

Finally time came to leave for school. Here Hope is walking to the building like a big girl.

 

 

School is over! It was awesome!

 

 

On her second day we arrived a little early and the door was locked so I pulled up to the curb to wait. Hope saw one of her friends arrive, and wanted to get out and wait with her. I allowed her to get out, but I stayed in the car to watch her. Soon more and more children and their moms arrived and I was sure Hope would come back up to the van where I was but she didn't. I could see her in the middle of the crowd talking to her friends...being all independent and "sunshiney". Fear was no where in her countenance. Then the classroom door opened and she went in with the other kids. She IS ready.