Lots of thoughts, fears, and excitement have been built up for tomorrow. I feel like we've spent the last 3 years working towards this one day. There is a whole life for John past Kindergarten and yet, there is something very special about tomorrow. I have spent the whole summer, going back and forth between feelings of "he's ready" to "there is no way he's going to be able to do this".
But, no matter how tomorrow goes and no matter how the year goes, John has been preparing for milestones like this since we found out about his at risk behaviors. We have helped John become ready by being proactive parents when we were told that something wasn't quite right. Regardless of a label or the absence of a diagnosis, every child struggles with something. I'm at a point where I can say that I am proud of Bill and I for being proactive in learning what it was John needed to succeed. I am proud of my boy who is now entering Kindergarten at a private school with his sister. There was a time when we didn't know if they would be going to the same school or not.
I am proud of the therapists at Casa Colina and the teachers John has had along the way. La Verne Parent Participation Preschool and My Gym Little Learners were the best pre-K prep for John. He excelled this year and I'm so thankful that we decided to have him wait a year for Kindergarten. John has a big heart and this year, he was able to show it off. The growth he has shown has been amazing and watching him over the last year made me realize that the pathway we went down 3 years ago was the best thing that happened to us.
The people we have met, the programs he's been in, the friends we've made, the stumbles we've had, and the teachers he's learned from has led us to be in a wonderful place today. It's why I've written this blog. Being proactive and learning how to help John navigate the world has been (and will continue to be) the best (and hardest) thing I've ever done and will do. This journey has taught me to appreciate development and not take simple milestones for granted. We really have only just begun, but I've learned to rejoice in the milestones along the way. And right now, I want to take a breath and enjoy where we are and not worry about where we are going. Right now, I want to celebrate his successes. I don't want a label to set him up for failure --- I want the journey to build his confidence.
Here's to Kindergarten.
