Aislynn had a great year in Kindergarten!  She accomplished all that I wanted to her accomplish, in this exact order:

1) have fun & make friends

2) learn phonics

3) learn the “sight words”  (and, is, the, how, etc)

4) learn simple addition and subtraction

This list is WHY I send my kids to Kindergarten.  I think it’s a FUN grade, and I like when they come home to me to homeschool already knowing how to read simple words and how to sound words out.  It just makes it that much easier for me if they can already do that.  And since Kindergarten over here in our public school is only 3 hours per day, well, I see no reason why they cannot join a class to learn that stuff.

But my #1 reason for sending them to Kindergarten is for them to make friends.  That way, when they come home to homeschool for the next few years, we will have a list of friends to call to arrange playdates.  I want my kids to be connected to the children that they will be going to school with later on.

The only child who has not gone to Kindergarten is Avery.  She enjoyed preschool very much, but when the next year came around and it was time for Kindergarten, she said she wanted to homeschool.  She just did NOT want to go, and I didn’t force her — although I did try to persuade her.  But nope, she had her mind set.  So, she is my only one who skipped Kindergarten.  Instead, she homeschooled that year with some of her older siblings.

But back to Aislynn…

On the second to the last day of school the Kindergarten classes had a carnival.  They do this every year, and it’s always so much fun for the kids.  In the previous years with my other Kindergarteners, I had volunteered to work a booth.  But I chose not to this year, and tried my best not to feel quilty about it.  Because here’s the thing:  when I work a booth, I cannot go around with my child to enjoy the carnival.  And I don’t know, but lately I’m just feeling like time is going by too quickly!  My 7th child is already finished with Kindergarten, my youngest child is talking in full sentences,  my 3rd child is driving already, and my oldest child is working and going to college full time, and all the ones in between are doing new things, too.  I mean, they are just growing up so quickly,  and I guess I’m just feeling that reality a lot lately.So this year, I decided to enjoy the carnival alongside my Kindergartener…

We had such a fun time, and she was so happy to walk with me, holding my hand, as she went from booth to booth to play the games.  So while I might not get an award for being the best volunteer of the year,  I earned my own award by being the best mommy that I could be that day.  And that is good enough for me!