Last Days.

This morning, we got up and made airplane and helicopter pancakes for our 5 year old and talked about big things to come. Today is Paxton's last day of 4 year old preschool. He will officially be a "kindergardener" at the end of the day. Can he be old enough? Can Steve and I be old enough?! This morning felt like the end of an era.

Yesterday, the Kindergarden teacher invited all the parents to come sit in on a regular class session during the morning period and then to come back with our future kindergardeners for about an hour and half in the afternoon for a meet and greet with their new teacher. I took advantage of both and was so grateful I was able to. I watched how she interacted with those sweet, almost 1st graders. How she commanded their attention without yelling, threatening, or demeaning. I watched as they read aloud to her, as they wrote STORY PROBLEMS for their math equations and as they helped each other. I watched as they began their Read Well program, sitting on the floor. Then, outside, a siren could be heard. Immediately, they put their books down and began making the sign of the cross. They waited for the teacher to begin her prayer for anyone who may be injured. She concluded her prayer and they resumed with their lesson. These kids knew that that's what we do. They began before the teacher. Can I ask you how cool that is? How cool is it to have your children be educated in an environment where the teacher gets to utter the phrase "In Jesus' name" and not have to worry about prosecution?

We are so blessed to have what we have in this parish and this parish school.

Ella gets to spend the weekend with my mom, having some one on one quality "Noni time" and we get to play around here with the boys--who are looking more and more alike every day and making me realize just what a family we have become. Paxton helps buckle the baby into his seat, Ella watches out for him when they're in the front yard. Paxton helped Ella put her shoes on yesterday and when Ella locked herself in the bathroom on accident it was Paxton who began to look very worried and started to cry a little. When Shepherd heard Ella banging on the door and crying, he started crying. Can you guess who wanted to cry then?

Families who cry together stay together. We are a family. We talk. We laugh. We sing. We cry. We play. We grow.

I have a feeling that when I go pick Paxton up I might cry. On this, his last day, it feels like a beginning. Beginnings are beautiful things. And so, sometimes, are endings.