Goodbye 4K

Reid had an end of year program the eve before his last day of school. Aunt Sam was able to come (which I should have snapped a photo of), so that made it extra special. Reid has had such a great school year. It was fun to celebrate with him. He didn't seem all that sad to have the experience come to an end, but he certainly was beaming with pride for having experienced it all (if that makes sense). He has loved, loved, loved his teachers and his new friends. He talks about 4K friends constantly at the end of each day. You can tell they are all (but especially a certain six or so) extra special to him. 

I took a couple videos that are posted below. I don't know why, but his demeanor in the first video just cracks me up. I love his shy sway and body snap. What a sweet boy! I also love his random facial expressions at the beginning of the second video. Through out the whole program he kept looking at us to make sure we were smiling. He even asked Ben why he didn't smile when we got home. Silly kid, Daddy was smiling plenty! The other funny thing was that right when we walked in he said "Mommy, can you sit where you sat last time?" Last time was referring to the holiday program. So we did. That boy can be too particular (aka perfectionist) sometimes. 

His head teacher, Mrs Bohnert, and the assistant teacher, Mrs Reischl

I think his favorite part of the program was a 20 minute slide show everyone watched while we ate treats. He and all his little preschool buddies (plus Nell) hovered under the smart board and giggled with excitement anytime they saw a picture of themselves or their favorite class memories. He wanted to make sure I was watching the slide show the whole time. 

My favorite part of the program was Coraline's excitement when we walked in and took our seats. She spotted Reid up with his class and just started hollering at him. She was standing on my legs shouting, clapping, and pointing. It seemed like everyone was laughing or ewe and awing at the sweetness of it all. He shot back the cutest smile. And when he realized she wasn't going to stop anytime soon he started giggling. He excitedly got up to tell his assistant teacher "That's my baby sister, Coraline!" as he pointed at the most obvious little human in the room. She replied "I could tell!" That girl was so proud of her big brother. Luckily she did eventually calm down and let us all enjoy the show.

Inside the printed program his teacher had written one thing she'd always remember about each child. For Reid it was his variety of peppers for snack time! This is extra funny because beforehand (multiple times throughout the school year) I thought to myself "If his teacher gives end of the year awards to each kid Reid will probably get healthiest snacks." I prefer the favorite memory to special awards, and I loved that I was right! I just knew his teachers had to notice how frequently he chose fresh veggies for snack time. He loved taking mini bell peppers, sometimes even several times a week. 

I love how much this boy has grown since last fall. Ben and I are both so proud of the little man he is becoming. One day last week I received a text from a friend (the class mom) telling me what a gentleman Reid had been all day. She said he helped another child open his milk, cleaned up messes he didn't make, and saved his friend's seat while she did her class job. She referred to him as "so sweet." His teachers always gave similar reports. Kindness and maturity are the two most important things for me right now. I know he will learn to read and multiply with time. I really don't worry about my kids and academics. I simply want to know they are kind to others and they behave well in settings away from home. I'm so proud of Reid for seeming to conquer both those tasks. 

His academic report card wasn't bad though. He met or exceeded all standards. He is a rock star rhymer and a lover of all things patterned. He definitely understands number quantities, and just needs to keep practicing his 6's and 9's. He seems to have most his alphabet down, but I plan on practicing it regularly this summer. He can't wait to be in Kindergarten, but for now we'll just enjoy this beautiful summer ahead of us.