The Way You Grow

I can't even tell you how much this kid makes my heart sing.  The older he gets, the more I fall in love with him.  He is such an interesting person - full of sweetness to melt your heart, and a temper to raise your eyebrows.

He thrived in Kindergarten last year.  And made some awesome friends along the way.

Graduation day was kind of hard for him.  It was hard for me, too.  Geez, you'd think they'd remember a mama's heart when they chose Taylor Swift's song Never Grow Up to have these little guys do their graduation walk to.  Have you heard it?  Google it.  You will cry.  At least through the first bit.

I never figured out exactly why Miles struggled through it, but he spent the whole day with a stoic look on his face that just looked sad to me.

Maybe he was tired.  Maybe he was picking up my 'Change is Hard' vibe even though I was trying to present the 'Happy Graduation Day!' vibe.  

I'm not sure.  But regardless of the reasons for our melancholy state, we made it through with a few extra hugs.  And even managed some genuine smiles along the way.

Change is hard, no matter how you look at it.  But the good thing about change in relation to Miles is that I am so darn excited to see who he grows up to be.  I think it will be powerful.

Carson was easy this year.  No graduation ceremony, just another awesome year in the middle of elementary school.  He grew so much during second grade - not really in stature, but in ability.  His reading took off like a rocket, and it was so fun to see him find even more confidence in himself.  I absolutely love this boy.

Halfway through the year he decided he wanted to cut his beautiful, long, blonde hair.  I swear he grew two years over that night.    

He worked hard and made it on the A-B Honor roll - we were so proud of him!  He was fake-exhausted by the end of the year, though.

What a great kid - sensitive and so kind... 

And McKenzie.  My McKenzie.  She broke my heart too, growin' up and graduating from elementary school and all.

The night before her graduation, she asked if we could curl her hair.  And she was so, so excited when it unrolled the next morning like this.

I hope she always, always feels as beautiful as she does right now.
Because she is such a beautiful person.

Do you remember that feeling as a kid that came as you were searching crowds for your mom?

And then you spotted her, and all the sudden your heart relaxed and you felt ready and confident for whatever it was you were there for?  I do.  And now, here I am, somehow in my own mother's position... and oh how I love to be that anchor of comfort.

She did a fabulous job of walking up on the stage to receive her awards.  She didn't trip or anything. She's one smart cookie, you know.  Straight A's and the highest reading score in the entire school.  By a lot.  Basically, she's amazing.

Amazing, and beautiful, and responsible, and a hard worker.  This girl is going to go far in life... she really, really is.