Boden's last day of PreK3

Boden's first year of preschool was one of amazing growth. The first few days leading up to school Boden was super excited to finally be going to "Rowan's old school". They had a meet the teacher day, then a short day where I was upstairs for a meeting while he was in the classroom and then school started. He walked in those first 2 days so confidently and then something flipped the 3rd day. 

He spent the first month and a half crying for hours each day at school. His teachers and the school director were amazing at helping him, but I was seriously worried that he would never adjust. He was taken out of class multiple times and the director would just sit and read to him to keep him calm. I thought that if it didn't get better we were for sure going to have to pull him out of school since they couldn't give him one on one preschool all year! Driving away knowing that he was crying made it hard for me to enjoy any bit of my preschool day. 

However, slowly but surely he started being happier at school. He would only cry for a couple minutes at drop-off and then finally he didn't cry at all. He still had some anxiety about drop off and was worried that I wouldn't come pick him up. He had crazy ideas about how the engine would fall out of my car and I wouldn't be able to drive, etc. I have no idea where these fears came from as we had never had car trouble, but these were his real fears. I would leave extra early to make sure that even if I had car trouble, I would have time to call someone to help pick him up, etc. I could not let these seemingly irrational fears be realized! As we continued to build a routine and he had more good days, he finally started to like school. 

Boden's first school program for Christmas, he was an adorable little angel. He did a good job singing and smiling but as soon as they started singing the closing song he just started sobbing thinking about me leaving. It was so cute and heartbreaking. 

 Tears in his eyes

 Trying to be brave and strong but he has such a tender little heart!

 He did much better in the new year and although sometimes got sad about going to school, didn't cry and had a good time. He always had great things to say when I picked him up and he gave me great details about happenings in his day. 

For his second school program, Grant and I were away in Montreal. My parents were able to go and it sounds like it was the same as the Christmas program. Did great but then got so sad at the end. I was surprised because he had been doing great at school, but it may have been a combination of remembering the last program and us being gone. 

By the end of the school year, he was doing really well! His lead teacher Mrs. West ended up getting a new job a couple weeks before school ended so he said goodbye to her on his birthday celebration day.

Mrs. Forcey (who was one of Rowan's preschool teachers) had subbed in his class several times and had really helped Boden's transition. She became the permanent teacher for the end of the month and we were thrilled. He got to spend the last 2 weeks with her!

In the last day of school program it was amazing to see Boden perform. He sung loud and proud (so loud that I could actually hear him above others which I loved! He wasn't yelling, just enthusiastically singing). He had a smile from ear to ear and did such a great job. It was the great culmination of this year of growth he had in PreK3.

 Saying goodbye to Mrs. Bendo and Mrs. Forcey. I was surprised how sad I was saying goodbye. I think because it was the first of many goodbyes in Maryland, and Good Shepherd was an important place in our lives for the 2 years we lived there. We were so late in the game with moving and finding a school and I'm so grateful that we found this one! It was the perfect place for both Rowan and Boden and a good into to preschools for us.

First day vs last day of preschool at Good Shepherd! Same smile, but a more confident and bigger boy for sure!