Hello Summer!

Well, today is the last day of school for my boys.

What a fantastic year it was, too.

My oldest joined the school orchestra and started off by playing the cello but then switched to the violin. He did well with his instrument even though he didn't like it. He found himself wanting to quit and begged me to do so. We talked about it and hopefully a lesson was learned in when he starts something he needs to see it through completion. I won't force him to continue on next year.

He did amazingly well with his grades and received honors all year round. He was also in top class for his grade this year and was challenged academically, which I love.

My middle son did brilliantly well achieving Climbers Club honors and finished off the school year with regular honors. He's so mature that I would think that he was in the 3rd grade instead of 2nd. Yes, I do know what grade my child was in but he's so mature and socially intelligent that you'd think he was in a higher grade.

My youngest successfully completed the beginning of his school career, pre-k. He learned a lot in school this year. His speech got better through speech therapy. While he was still a little turtle peaking his head out of his shell through out most the school year, by the time the ending of the school year came about, he was as social as can be. He would even get into trouble for being silly in school. He matured and learned about friendship. He learned to follow directions and rules. He's well on his way to being successful in school.

The year did have its ups and downs but mostly its ups.  My boys all learned some new things, as well as I did.

As I reflect back on how this year was, it was successful, in part, because I was supportive of them.

In order for my boys to continue this way and not get "burned out" I need to be there for them. I need to be supportive. I need to keep the calm. I need to keep the balance between home and school fair.

My oldest said something that was very profound to me last night. He said "he feels more calm in school than when he is at home because when he comes home he goes crazy with not knowing what to do". He's only 10. I explained to him the reason he feels this way is because when he's home, he's not necessarily bound by a schedule that he was to keep. He has all this free time to do as he pleases and there's so much he wants to do that he can't decide and time goes by.

This conversation only reaffirmed for me my role as a parent. I am learning, and yes I do know this but practice is key, that routine and continuity is SO important for them.

So as much as my boys learned, academically, emotionally and socially this year in school, I also learned how important it is for me to be my boys' rock. I will continue to learn and grow with them because after all my goal for them is to be successful (in life) and well balanced human beings in this world.