Kindergarten- Almost

Dear Jameson,

Hey sweet boy!!

You're starting Kindergarten in a few days.

I have to admit, I'm a little bit of an emotional mess about it.  I'm so proud of you, and I know you're "ready", whatever that really means.  I know it will be fantastic, I know you'll make great friends and learn more than I could ever probably teach you.  I know that you'll love the independence, the predictability, the fun, the "big boy" stuff.  Anytime you try something new, especially something that you're a little nervous about, I beam with pride, and sometimes cry a few really happy tears.  I'm pretty sure that I'm going to cry lots of tears, and I'm really hoping I can contain them until I drive away on Tuesday.

I'm finding that as I reassure you, I'm actually trying to reassure myself.  When I'm convincing you of the fun and adventures you'll have, the kids you'll meet and love, I'm really really hoping that is true, because I'm scared too- and I'm not telling you that.

You're SO big, you're SO brave, you love making friends, you love learning, you really should love Kindergarten, but it's a much bigger step than you even realize.  I didn't think this "milestone" would freak me out as much as it is, but it does.  This is the beginning of so many things, a symbol of your ever growing independence in the world- the start of your formal learning, the stage for the next many many years of your precious life.  What will you do? How will you learn best? What will you love? What will your struggles be? What will I learn about you? I don't like feeling a little helpless with this big life stuff, but I trust you. I trust that you are the best person you can be, that you're honest with your emotions and that you are brave when you're scared.  I've worked very hard along side of you to encourage you and to prepare you for life, and hopefully you're as ready as you can be.

We're both scared, and when I post next time here it will be Tuesday, and I hope with everything I have that I'm writing that you had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back.  It's just Kindergarten, but it's so much more.

Love, Mommy

5.5!

Dear Jameson,

Good grief time is flying, my love.
Well, you're as amazing as ever.  You've started to read, you're doing great with numbers and counting, adding and subtracting.  All those basics :)

You're eating great- in fact a little too great.  You never used to like typical 'bad' things (sweets, soda) but boy do you like cookies, candy and now sips of soda every once in a while.  It's hard to remember how difficult it was to get you to eat anything new, or anything at all.  Your favorites right now are still mac n cheese, pizza (you love pizza rolls, bagel bites), chicken fingers- typical kid stuff.  Your favorite dinners right now are biscuits and gravy and "green" (pesto) pasta. You're doing great though with eating whatever I make for dinner.  You still eat a tortilla and cheese for breakfast every single day.  This has gone on for a couple of years I think!

You had a wonderful year at preschool- you made new friends, learned how to socialize and resolve conflicts. You are adored by your teacher, Teacher Gail and pretty much anyone that has contact with you.  Your favorite friend from school is Coco, we will have to set up another play date with her soon!  You loved playing "doggy" at school, that was so funny.  I was able to be helping parent at the school about once a month, that was sure fun to watch how you interact with your peers.

Kindergarten starts August 10/11th.  You'll be going to Summit View Elementary, though we had first registered you with Northridge Elementary.  It seems like a great school, we have played on the playground and we'll visit later next month.  The reason for the switch- we're moving! Again.

I think you're excited about the move.  You probably think people just move all the time. I promise we will really make this our home for the long haul.  It's a better house, a great neighborhood and the yard is crazy- I hope you do well with so much change, I'm not really concerned, you're very resilient and good natured about just about everything!

I don't think I posted about it last time, but we do have a new dog, Nya.  Naughty Nya that is.  She's a boxer/mastiff/french bulldog mix and you two are best friends.  She is SUCH a good dog with you, she lets you do just about anything- not that you mistreat her or anything. We had a few rough moments at first, but I think you've really learned how to treat her well and how to manage your frustration when she invariably does something that upsets you.  She is naughty though- she has chewed up so many things and scratched doors, cabinets.  I'm a little worried about the new house, but we started crating her and there's a great dog run there so hopefully we'll manage ok.

Back to you- I really can't say enough good stuff about you!  You're so thoughtful, you have great manners, you have the sweetest most tender heart.  You're SO funny too, little clown.  Your relationships with everyone in your family are so strong and beautiful.  I love talking to you, you have some tough questions, funny questions, and some fabulous philosophies on life.  If I'm ever unsure, upset, or generally feeling down- connecting with you is like medicine.  I'm instantly calmed, uplifted and happy.  You give off such a zest for life, you are almost always in such a great mood, you handle change like I wish I could, and you just love your life every single day.

Ok sweetie, I'll end this here.  We have a lot going on in the next few months- so I'll be sure and update after Christmas about the second half of your 5 year old year.

I love you more than anything,

Love, Mommy

5!!

Oh Em Gee!!  I can't believe I haven't posted in so long!  Sorry sweetheart!

Dear Jameson,

You're 5!!  Holy cow how is this even happening?  I had to read my last letter to you to see what was going on when you were 4.5, oh so much has happened.

You started school at Cottonwood, and you LOVE it.  They love you too.  You play and play and play and make me millions of little art projects and collect "shinys" in the sandbox and play "doggy" with Coco and a few other friends.  I help out there once a month usually, it's so fun to see you play with other kids.  You have really great manners, and you're so funny always making other people laugh.  We had your mid year conference and Teacher Gail had only good things to say about you.  It's just such a good fit.

We moved!  Yep, we sold our house that you were born in (ok, you weren't born THERE but still), and boy that was hard.  Hard to move, hard to adjust to the new house, it was a trying time for all of us.  You have a great big yard now and we got you a swing set playground thing and Oma and Opa bought you a trampoline!  You have actually done great in the new house, the first few weeks you weren't sure, but we've really settled in well.  We're in a much better school district, and we really wanted a yard for you and for Sebastian.

Speaking of sweet giant Sebastian, we did have to say goodbye to him so very unexpectedly about 3 months ago.  That was awful, really awful.  Yet again though, you process things like the big boy you are, you ask questions, and you're just so understanding about life sometimes it shocks me.  We sure will miss that big lug!

We got you all registered for Kindergarten at Northridge Elementary.  We visited there last week and you love the huge Clifford dog in the library and the rope climbing thing in the gym.  I hope it's great for you, Kindergarten is REAL school now, not all play.  You're not a huge fan of really sitting down to learn things, but you're so dang smart it'll come naturally in the right environment I'm sure of it.

You've started drawing me pictures, first it was snakes and then you drew "mommy and a doggy" several times in a row.  Adorable.

We went to Disney World!  Animal Kingdom!  Gatorland!  Universal Studios!  Omg we had a blast.  We stayed at a resort called Bonnet Creek, which also had like 5 pools.  Oma and Opa came with us, we had a 3 bedroom condo.  We went to TRex Cafe for your birthday, Grandma and Grandpa came too!  We had so much fun, trip of a lifetime.  The rides, the excitement, the food, the time together- it was as they say, "magical".  You are so brave, you went on roller coasters I was even scared to go on!  I think you say that Everest was your fave, but you wouldn't go a second time.  You went on a ZIPLINE over ALLIGATORS!  Seriously!  Next time we'll try Disneyland, that will be a blast too- but maybe when you're 7.

We had your birthday party that next weekend, a reptile show party! It was so fun, you invited your classmates and a few other friends. There were lizards, snakes, a tarantula, a gigantic yellow snake, an iguana, a tortoise.  Reptiles was your theme, we ordered pizza and had cupcakes, it was awesome.

So now about you- you are awesome. I love that you're so confident, you know you're funny, and you can be so very sweet and thoughtful.  You eat great, though you could work on those veggies a little more. You sleep great.  You're learning about life at an amazing pace, some of the things you say to me just completely blow me away.  A while ago you asked me why the Iguanadon was called an Iguanadon, and I told you I didn't know.  And you said "what do you mean you don't know, don't you have a brain in your head!?" which was actually rather rude, but I honestly don't think you meant it rude.  Maybe a little smart aleky-which is ok, because as tenderhearted as you are, I want you to be able to kick ass if you need to, but seriously just the fact that you knew that knowledge is stored in the brain, brain is in the head.. whoa!  It seems like yesterday when I was giggling at you calling firetrucks "weeoweeoweeo trucks" (which you now think is hilarious that you'd EVER do such a thing.

You were Optimus Prime for Halloween!

I better run my little favorite pal.  Need to get back to work, and then my favorite part of the day, home to YOU!  Making oven tacos tonight, they are probably your second most favorite dinner, your first is biscuits and gravy.  You are also a huge fan of "green" (pesto) pasta, and of course pizza, chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, french fries, and all the typical kid stuff.

I love you MORE :)

Love, Mommy