All I Need to Know In Life I learned in Kindergarten

What a crazy last few days.....school ended, I hosted the End of School breakfast at my house on Friday for the 65 teachers at my school, we went out of town for a wedding (more on that later) and celebrated Father's Day! PHEW!

I am so happy the school year is FINALLY over.
I didn't know if I would survive.

I really can't believe Kate is done with Kindergarten. 

I remember the first day SO clearly.

I had just give birth to Luke 2 weeks before school started & I was a ball of emotion.

10 months later, on the last day of school, I was still a ball of emotion. 

I am so proud of my girl. 

What a huge year this was for Kate.

She learned to read. 

She made new friends.

She listened to her teacher.
She started speech once a week.
She met or exceeded all the Kindergarten standards.
She lost her first tooth (at school)
She completed her year of Kindergarten with grace & dignity.

With her awesome teacher the last day of school.

I was so nervous those first few weeks of school.
She didn't know anyone in her class.
Her friends were in the other Kinder class.
The 3rd week of school, she would come home from school & her snack was still in her lunch bag (Kindergarten doesn't eat lunch at school, just a snack)
For a week straight, each day, her snack was there, untouched. 
I asked her about it & she said she "wasn't hungry"
I had been giving her one of her favorite treats...a chocolate pudding cup.
I was so confused on why she wasn't eating it.
Finally, after a week of this, she finally told me that a boy in her class had put "bricks on her heart"
I asked why & she said because the week before when she ate her pudding cup, she had some chocolate on her lip and a boy in her class said to her,
"I am not going to be friends with you because you are messy & have chocolate on your face."
That's why she hadn't been eating her snack.
My heart sank.
I told her that what that boy said to her was not kind and that is why it's so important to chose our words wisely so that we don't put bricks on people's hearts.
Later that night I cried as I thought about my sweet Kate.
I realized at that moment she learned a life lesson in kindergarten......that people can be a$$holes.  Really, it's true. All you really need to know in life can be learned in Kindergarten, or rather from a pudding cup.

Everyday I say to my girls, "It's nice to be nice"
My hope & prayer for them in school is not that they get straight A's, but that they are nice people.
Good grades can only take you so far in life.
But being a nice person to those around you, showing them Christ's love and treating others how you want to be treated?
 That will take you FAR.

 Her teacher gave out awards to each student on the last day of school.

 Kate was awarded "Ms. Friendly" and her teacher said that Kate showed up each day of school with a loving glow surrounding her.

I was so proud when Kate got Ms. Friendly from her Kindergarten teacher.

She persevered & over came someone being unkind to her and made sure she was still a friend to all...each day she showed up at school.

The last day of school, I got to spend the last hour at school with Kate while they had their awards presentation & a slideshow of the year. Myself (and most of the moms) just stood in the back of the classroom with tears streaming down our faces. I couldn't stop crying. 

It was such a special & incredible year. 

Kate's teacher was amazing & it was a good group of kiddos.

I will remember this year of school forever. 

It was truly Awe-some.

Goodbye School Year....HELLO SUMMER!!!!