Noah's Kindergarten Recap

It's 11pm the night before Noah starts 1st grade, so I thought it was about time I provide an update on how kindergarten went...

In a word: great. Of course I cannot possibly summarize such a full year in this little post or at this hour of the night, so I'm just going to post a few pictures that represent the many memories and friends that made up Noah's first year of full-time school.

Which was a success largely to due this lovely lady, Ms. Bannister, who has a song for every activity and a way of keeping order AND fun that I didn't fully appreciate till I tried to do it for her for ONE HOUR. She's a saint.

And these crazy cats. A sweet bunch.

A few times Noah was in the spotlight (which he loves/hates) for his citizenship, art, and presence.

A few of his favorite projects: the diorama, Lego book, writing journal, and constant discussions/drawings about football with buddies (one of whom was an Auburn fan).

I wish I had a calendar like this to show all the field trips and special events that filled the year; I was really surprised by the wealth of experiences Noah was given. I think because it was all things I used to have to make happen when he was home with me - things I had to plan and check the weather and if it was age appropriate and coordinate with friends and squeeze around housework and between brother's naps and when we all had a good attitude... 

Was this really a year ago?

But now, there's a team of people taking care of it all, for him, for free. I expected the daily lessons and homework and learning to read (which in itself is a huge load off me), but I didn't realize everything else that would go with it. The school carnival, the field trips to plays and businesses, the visiting professionals, the special "dirt days" and after-school science experiments and painting like Picasso (imho ;)) and bonding with new friends. 

School often gets a bad rap, and it's frustrating that not everyone has access to a good one, but this year has reminded me to appreciate what an incredible blessing it is -- one I don't ever want to take for granted (though once they've been doing it a few years, I may need to come back and read this post again... ;))

In the meantime, Noah sharpened 48 pencils today and has his backpack full for first grade and Mr. Wilkerson (a fellow Peabody grad. Anchor Down.)! 

The Tiger Run

Noah and Aaron's school mascot is a tiger, so every year the school puts on the "Tiger Run," their major fundraiser. While Aaron participated last year, this was the first year both boys eagerly anticipated the event. They practiced at school in the months before, and Aaron would show me at home how he runs like a tiger: on all fours, growling...

It was a beautiful fall morning, and Aaron's class was up first...

Aaron's sweet little preschool class

The Tiger, running

Then came the kindergarteners...

Noah running with his friend, Robert (who I always want to call Kenny...)

Noah ran until they called time and finished 2.5 miles!

Go Tigers! :)

A New Birth Story

People often talk about how easily children believe in God -- or whatever you tell them. That has never been true for Noah. When he was 3 or 4, he would question whether angels are real or whether God could hear our prayers. As one who has consistently probed various church doctrines to make sure they're sound, I could get behind this. We absolutely want our boys to be critical thinkers. So we just committed to encouraging and answering his questions as they came.

And then suddenly he was 6 years old, and he understood all he really needed to know. It all seemed to pile up in one day, last Sunday:

1) The communion plate had to pass him by in worship service (as usual, but this time it really struck me),*
2) His Sunday school teacher pointed out that he knows "all the answers."
3) He and Josh listened to the audio from my Bible study teaching last week, about how Jesus offers us "eternal life," and Noah seemed really excited about it.

Which led to a conversation Sunday night about how we decide whether we want to follow Jesus. We've discussed it several times over the past year and have encouraged him to ask others how they made that decision. Frankly, at 6, I'm not sure how much he can possibly understand the concept of placing his functional trust in Jesus and resting in His finished work rather than his own fickle desires or efforts to be "good enough." It's a lot to take in. BUT, I kept hearing Matthew 19:14 playing in my head: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Plus, I could imagine that as Noah grew, his natural skepticism could lead him to feel increasingly on the outside from our church community - not because it was excluding him (doubts and questions are welcomed), but because he had not made the decision to join it.

So Sunday night we put out the invitation: Do you want to believe in Jesus? Do you want to follow him? He said he'd sleep on it.

The next morning, out of the blue, he said, "I'm still thinking about it Mom, though I'm leaning toward Yes."

And Monday night (11/11/13), as he was getting ready for bed, unprompted by me, he said, "So Mom, I've decided Yes."

Honestly, I struggled at first with how to respond. He gets embarrassed when I ask him questions about it, and he prefers to pray memorized lines, which made it hard at first to tell what he really understands. But with time, he confirmed his grasp of the facts -- and his change of heart was immediate and obvious: he was smiling ear to ear and making statements like this ever since...

Me: Do you want to call someone and tell them what you've decided?
N: Yes!

N: When is the next church day?
Me: It's in 6 days, but we won't have communion this Sunday (I thought he might just be excited about the "snack").
N: That's OK, I just really want to go to church. I wish it was sooner.

N: Do you think Aaron wants to decide, too?
Me: I hope so! But he may be a little young to understand what we're talking about.
N: Yeah - maybe he'll be ready when he's 5.

Me: I was thinking maybe I could get you up a little earlier and we could read the Bible and pray together before school. What do you think?
N: Yeah! I really like reading the Bible.

First day of morning devotions (11/15/13): "Someday Heaven"

Me: Did you tell anyone at school what you decided last night?
N: No, it's too busy there. But I felt happy inside all day.

Me: We're going to have a special dinner tonight to celebrate with Gigi and Papa.
N: Who's going to pray?
Me: I don't know. Do you want to?
N: Yes! I really like praying.

N: Mom, can you read the Bible to me? (more than once)

And as we reminded him that...

You can talk to God anytime.
He is always with you.
He will never leave you.
He always loves you, no matter what you do.
He made you for a reason - you have a purpose.

He responded with mouth-open wonder. It is startling to see and hear my teen-like skeptic responding with such unabashed enthusiasm. And it has been a powerful reminder to me that God is clearly at work in my son's life.

I realize that Noah will have to revisit this decision as he gets older and better understands the options before him (as I did). I also expect his enthusiasm to ebb and flow (as mine does). But I am astonished and grateful to see that he is already beginning to find the hope and peace and security that Josh and I have found in Jesus.

Which means I really wanted to mark the occasion. If we had a party for his baptism, we were certainly going to have some sort of party to celebrate his decision to join the church. Playing on the metaphor in John 3, we had a "birthday party" the next night. Noah was surprised and delighted - but not more than we were, and are.

*In our church, you don't take communion until you've confirmed that you understand (and accept) what it means.

Our Kindergartener Turns Six

This was the first year school started before Noah's birthday, so he got to be the first celebration in his class...which didn't do any harm to the kindergarten honeymoon we're on right now.

The morning began as any good morning would: a Daddy Hug. And Fruit Loops. Then, off to the bus!

Despite my counteroffers (donuts, homemade cookies), Noah was committed to taking "hard tack" to school as his birthday treat. That's right folks. You send cupcakes; we send dried-out bread. #thisbagiscomingbackfull #piratestrong

To my surprise, it was hit. That's right; I discovered the keys to making dry bread a successful birthday treat:
     a) be the first birthday your classmates have ever experienced at school,
     b) give the teacher fair warning so she can set the stage with a book on pirates (her idea),
     c) add "pirate cheese" and chocolate.
I actually overheard one boy say, "Noah is cool." He knew his crowd better than me.

It was also great to witness his teacher in action, telling stories, singing songs, giving directions, and calling each kid by name. I've been impressed with each of the teachers I've met, but I am still so thankful his seems excellent.

That night, there was a 30-minute kindergarten-parent orientation at his school during dinner time. This would've been a real pickle, if my parents hadn't just moved in down the street. Gigi and Papa to the rescue! They brought Noah's choice (Little Caesar's cheese pizza & cheese sticks) and hung with the boys till we could get back for...

Presents and Black Cows (a.k.a. root beer floats)! Between golf clubs, bicycles, Lego's, chess, and a new rock collection, he had a very good day...