Thursday, October 8, 2009

Joy... a very welcomed feeling.

So... it's been a while.

I haven't posted anything here in quite some time.... but today is just one of those that cannot go by without taking some time to put my thoughts into text............

Parent-Teacher conferences were today.

Wow.

No, that doesn't quite sum it up.

WOW!!!!!!!!

There, that's better.

I have two of THE most amazing kids in the whole ENTIRE world.

Okay, sure - most parents say that. BUT... it's usually not true. Haha! =P

First up -- my son's teacher. Mrs. Mooneyhan. Right off the bat, she thanks me for raising such a kind, caring, remarkable & responsible son. On top of that, she goes on to tell me that he's always striving to do his best in all subjects in class. She lets the kids take a spelling pre-test on Thursday and if they make more than 100, (there's bonus words each week - total possible is 105), they don't have to take the test on Friday. She tells me that even if he makes 104, he always wants to retake it on Friday because he knows he can get the 105.
She kept complimenting me on my parenting and if I tried to shrug off taking credit, she kept bringing it back and saying I should just accept it. I really think that I just have two absolutely awesome kids and I just can't take all the credit for them being who they are...
But anyway, hearing all these things about how well he's doing and how much she just LOVES having him in class -- she even said she wishes she could have a classroom full of Derics!!! -- I couldn't help it.... I started to tear up. I was just BEAMING and BURSTING with pride. It's incredible to hear a teacher speak so highly of your child.............

(I can't even type this without feeling it all well up again...)

Second up -- my daughter's teacher. Mrs. Dowell. (Who's been a replacement teacher since day 1 of school because Rachel's teacher was put on bedrest -- her first pregnancy at age 38, I think).
Okay, there's really only so much I can take...lol... She proceeds to tell me that she has never seen a student as bright and as eager as my daughter. She used the word "NEVER"!!! She taught for 35 years and retired and was called in by the principal as a favor because of the other teacher being put on bedrest.) She tells me that the students are required to read 9 books by this point and take tests on them on the computer. My daughter has read EIGHTEEN! AND three of them were near 5TH grade level! She's in 3rd grade! =o !
She goes on to tell me she's started preparing paperwork to have my daughter tested for being gifted.
/shocked
I had NO idea that I could ever feel so insanely proud....... it's just incredible.
I'm literally speechless at this point, just taking all this in. Tears welling up in my eyes from being so happy hearing all these words and feeling such pride for my baby girl...
Then she starts talking about how she wishes she could always choose Rachel as the "line leader" or if she needs something from or taken to the office, she wishes she could always ask Rachel to do it rather than mixing it up with other kids - giving them turns and whatnot - because she knows she can always count on her.

I swear, I'm still taking all this in... I haven't even talked to my kids tonight about all this yet because I know I'm just this big softy who is SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOO very proud of them both and if I started thinking about talking with their teachers today and telling them about it, I'm gonna get all teary-eyed again......

My kids are my whole world. They've all I've got and I'm really all they have. I'm not a fan of the way life has turned out in that regard but I have always tried to do my best in spite of life's circumstances to be the best parent I can be for them.

It's just.. it really is an certain type of joy inside that I'm feeling that I can't really explain right now. To see your children excel like this.... I might not be happy with MY life, but I am absolutely thrilled thinking about what their futures could hold in store for them..........

/joy