the first last day of school

Garrett on the last day of school.

Today is Garrett's first last day of school, and there will be many more in the years to come. But this one, perhaps because it is the first, is particularly bittersweet -- for me, not for him; I don't he think fully understands that there will be no more school until the fall, and even if he does, I'm not sure he sees what the big deal is. But I know we both have fond memories of the past year, and it's a little sad to see it come to an end.

We've come a long way since that first day in September. We survived a rocky beginning, made lots of friends, and received some much needed help with his developmental delays. Most of all, we've grown. Garrett is not the same little boy that he was ten months ago, physically or intellectually, and I am not the same sort of mother. We've both started learning the ins and outs of what it means to be enrolled in the public school system, and while it's been harrowing at times, it's also been happy and enlightening.

Garrett loved going to school, and he loved riding the bus to get there. He's been in a very good place at this particular school, and has been with very good people. He has learned what it means to work together and to be a part of a group, and his speech has improved in so many wonderful ways, I can't even begin to describe them here. I consider this, his first year of school, to have been highly successful, and I'm happy that he gets to go back to the same class in the fall for his pre-kindergarten year.

Garrett last week with his teachers, Ms. Christina (on the left) and Ms. Marilu (on the right), on the day we brought in cupcakes for an early celebration of his birthday.