Kindergarten - 1 year home

1st day of Kindergarten - August 2012

Playing goalie - Spring 2013

1 Year Home - Six thirty a.m. on August 23, 2012 a loud buzzer sound resonated the fact that Summer was indeed over. Lazy days of sleeping in, swimming, visiting family in Wisconsin,  unplanned play dates were coming to an end. My 3 kids would all attend a new school, make new friends, and adjust to a new home in a new community. For obvious reasons my husband and I wondered about our youngest the most, how he would take to new authority, blend in a class of 20 students, get the individual attention he needs every day 8-3pm. So today we go to his first real school conference and all I heard was he is amazing! My husband looked at him wondering if this was the same kid that left our home this morning. He sat still, his responses were calm, clear, & polite. He obviously loved and respected his teachers. Just 1 year ago today this is the same little boy could not count to 10 or knew the names of colors in his own native language.  I cannot help but think of who Justin was a year ago to who he is today. He was a little boy who had all the reasons to be scared, who has moved in from place to place with total strangers, who didn't know what a family was, didn't know what chocolate tasted like!!! I look at him today and for more reasons than just his school conference I am amazed. Amazed at his tenacity, for him to believe that this stop is the last one he will ever have to make, that he has parents that love him and want him to stay, that he has a brother and sister that love him as well. He trusts us that we love him no matter what, that he will belong in a family forever. He believes that he can grow up to be what ever he wants to be. He is amazing. He should not be as happy as he is. He just took life as it came. but now he knows what family is. I am glad he does. And I know he is glad too.

I don't know why I never published the above blog post written last September, but it continues to a good ending. Read below. 

18 Months Home - Summer 2013 is 6 weeks away and Justin has had a great Kindergarten year. He has made many friends, learned how to read, and is starting to say a few things in Spanish again. And best of all he tells me that I am his favorite mom no matter what. He finished playing 2 seasons of soccer and would like to play indoor soccer this summer. He is very social at school and that often gets him a little more attention from the teachers than we would like, but we couldn't be more proud of him. He really is an outstanding kid. Well done Justin!!!!!! You are almost a 1st grader!