My Little Girl

Isn't so little anymore...

Less than two months ago Isabel started kindergarten. At that time I decided to start a journal for her. I started the first day of kindergarten with 15 questions that I plan to ask her on the first day of school now until her Senior year of high school. I didn't commit to journaling daily, but as often as I can about things she's learning as well as cute things she says, pictures, art work, etc. I plan on giving the journals to her for graduation.

I am doing this for her and for me. I have a lot of feelings about her going to school and I think that journaling about it will definitely help.

They grow up too fast...

I really thought that I was going to lose it that first day of school, but as she walked away from me already making new friends I knew that everything was going to be okay and that she was exactly where she needed to be.

Isabel on the first day of kindergarten



Isabel and her cousin Emma

Oddly enough, as the days went on it became more difficult to drop her off. I keep getting this feeling of heart break every time I take her to school and she runs away to be with her friends without so much as a goodbye. She does run back to me for a hug, a kiss, an "I love you" and an "I'll miss you". Pretty soon she won't want to be seen with me in public and I'll have to drop her off a block away from school.

It took less than a day for her teacher to see how gifted Isabel is. She has been labeled gifted by her pediatrician and her pre-kindergarten teacher, however to me she is and always will be just Isabel, my bug. Yes, she can read and comprehend and has been doing so since she was two. Yes, she can do math (addition and subtraction). Yes, she has taken Emma's third grade spelling tests and passed with flying colors. But that's nothing new to us. She has always chosen workbooks over coloring books and we have always encouraged but not forced learning. I'm not sure how it happened, but she's a smart little girl.

I received a call from my mom one day after she picked up Isabel from school. I wait ever so impatiently by my phone at work at 12:55 to get a call from her to tell me how school was. I desperately wish I could be there to pick her up. 

My mom told me that when she was let out of class the teacher motioned for her to come to the class room instead of waiting for Isabel by the gate like she had been since the second day of school (mind you, this was on the third day of school).

My reaction to her telling the story was the same as hers was when the teacher motioned to her. "Oh dear lord, what has my child done today.."

I don't give her enough credit.. You see, the teacher called my mom over so that she could talk to her about moving Isabel up to first grade. In fact, she believes that she would do well in second grade, however socially she should only be moved up one grade. She's already in the kindergarten/first grade split class so she would stay in the same class. She needed to find out how we felt about this before doing assessments with Isabel, speaking to the principal and having a psychological evaluation done.

It took over a month to get everything done and approved. Over a month of waiting and wondering what would happen. A month of stressing over every little detail about it like only a mother can.

It finally happened though.

Patrick and I met with the principal, her teacher, the school psychologist and the rest of the Student Study Team to discuss her promotion. Her teacher went over the assessment and told us that it was the end of the year kindergarten assessment. It normally takes kids 2-3 days to finish the entire thing because they tend to get bored. She said it took you 10 minutes to finish and that you got every single question right. Everyone agreed that it was the right move. The next day we received the official call that the district approved it and she would be starting first grade.

She just loves to learn. Even at home she doesn't ask us to play she asks us to give her homework. Math problems, spelling tests, pretty much anything. Her brain is always working and it is amazing to watch.

I could not be more proud of my little girl! Her principal says that in the past 18 years of being a principal he has only promoted 4 kindergartner's to first grade. Well, 5 now...

Isabel's first day of first grade