June 15, 2011

Their last day of school was a pirate extravaganza.

Most pirates were excited about the last day of school.

Not this one.

As their teacher was given her end of the year gift, the presenter was saying, 

"Didn't you all have a wonderful year?"

Surprisingly, my easy going child with the sweet heart,

was shaking his head, no.

Mortified, I waited until the presentation was over before approaching him to ask what that was all about.

His eyes filled with tears and he opened them wide, fanning them so no tears would fall.

"I don't want to go to leave kindergarten."

He has grown quite fond of Mrs. Butkus.

He was sad to say good-bye,  but he put on a happy face for this picture.

If I wasn't such an amateur photographer, I could have captured the tear that escaped.

But I didn't.

Oh well, we will hope for none of those as we get ready for the first grade anyways.

Sidenote:   
I am very goal-oriented.  
My entire college experience was accomplishing one goal after another.
I began teaching at twenty-one and continued to further my education with my Master's Degree in Education.
Then I continued for a second.
I received it in Master of Science: School Counseling.
During this time I continued working full time at an elementary school.
I was loving it. . .I moved up with most of my kindergarteners to first, then on to second, and finally even third.
I was so attached to that group of kids.
However, in order to make my goal of becoming a school counselor--I needed to move on. Now.
I was about to, except my wonderful principal pulled me in her office and told me something that I will always remember.
She told me my goals were admirable, but there wasn't just one path to get me there.
I didn't have to check off everything from my list in such a timely, even hurried manner.
If I enjoyed what I was doing (teaching) now, there would be plenty of time for counseling later on.


I was so fixated on the end result that I wasn't savoring every second of the journey.
Looking back, her words have served me well.
I often wonder if I had just kept going down my checklist, would I have missed my opportunity to work part time so I could be home more with my kids?
Would I have been so entrenched in my work that I wouldn't have been able to walk away?

I wonder sometimes.
Where is this thought process coming from you wonder?
Lately I've been thinking--I started this daily blog to get to know my Canon better and to document our daily lives in a Project Life book.
The book is coming along--and I feel so freed from scrapbooking per se!!
I am definitely taking more pictures. . .I don't know that their quality is improving...
but who cares?  Not me!
Which leads me to getting past my goal oriented self... 
daily blog.
I'm not so sure it will continue being daily.  
If I put a post up--great.
If I don't--so be it.
Summer is almost upon me and I want to enjoy it.
All of it.
Every second.

I feel much better now that this is off my chest.
Thank you. . .all five of you who read.
I'm doing this to document our lives.
I have to live it in order to capture it.
I am freeing myself from the daily responsibility of posting.
Now let's see if myself really listens!!!