Year End

Today my beautiful daughter finished Reception Year at school. It hardly seems like a moment ago that we were preparing for her to start. She looked so grown up in her school uniform and unworn shoes that were scuffed to within an inch of their life within a very short space of time.

In the past year she has grown; her body, her mind, her limbs and feet and her gorgeous blonde hair that she hopes will turn her into Rapunzel at some point in the future (I'm not sure she's really grasping all that Rapunzel had to suffer in order to have hair that long).

She has learned to read basic books and her writing confidence is growing daily.  She has met the expectations academically for her Reception Year. There is a bit of a niggle over her processing of numbers but she will be given extra help in school next year to help bring her up to speed.  She is learning to risk getting things wrong and starting to enjoy writing me letters without asking for help with the spelling (I did have to ask her what "bich" meant in a letter she wrote me though). 

She has endured a very long adoption process and learned she had another brother. She has allowed that brother into her life and is starting to have real affection for him.  She has started to adjust to sharing Mummy and is settling down a bit although there is still a long way to go with some of the behaviour she is displaying.  I think we might have turned a corner this week after an incident that I will write about separately.

She has made lots of friends and has started to learn to navigate difficulties in her friendships and that loyalty can mean having to deal with some tough situations with those friends.  She has probably been to more parties than anyone else in her class (which is breaking my bank balance and seriously challenging my inspiration for presents!).  I think school is actually just an extension of Katie's social life.

She has had her first visit to A&E for a chipped bone in her foot on the night before our Adoption Panel. 

She has learned that dancing doesn't come easily for her but that perseverance can reap rewards.

She has gained her Badge 8 for gymnastics and may have Badge 7 by the time I write again. She has also gained her 50m swimming badge.

She has added a ridiculous amount of bruises to her body possibly just due to the size of her feet or her already diagnosed hypermobility but possibly due to an added issue of dyspraxia or dyslexia or even dyscalculus (time will tell on that one).

She has laughed, cried, screamed, thrown her body down in protest at a variety of perceived injustices; thrown things at us; kicked and spat at us and blown us away with the force of her personality and will. She really is the little girl with a curl.

She has wowed me with her beautiful smile; her quips, and some of her funny poses for photographs.

She has shown me parts of myself that I'm proud of and parts of myself that I would much rather trade in for some better ones.

She has been great company and sometimes I miss the time we have just us.  It's not quite so easy to organise now but we're getting there.

Last night she said to me that she didn't want to go into Year 1 and that she wanted everything to stay
the same as they are now.  There will be a lot of changes at school next year for her.  She is being split up from her best friend because they really don't bring out the best behaviour in each other. Nothing sinister or really horrendous but they are a right royal pain the you know where when they are together and they make some really silly choices.  I can understand her anxiety and I actually share it to an extent.  I have worried about the changes for her next year and how she will feel.  She's had more to contend with this year than a 5 year old should have to deal with really.  She will have some of her other friends with her though and I hope that the split will enable both girls to settle down and work in large group settings a little better.  I am going to trust in the school's choice.  They have been so supportive through our adoption and really seem to have her best interests at heart.  We chatted about how she is feeling and I told her that she said something really similar to me last year when she left pre-school. She doesn't remember that but was reassured that this is a feeling that she has surmounted before.  She knows that we will move forward together and that I will be there for her.

When you're going through a difficult time it is easy to forget all the other stuff.  It is about the sum of all the parts, not just one.  My daughter is complex and fascinating and strong and challenging and beautiful and caring and kind. She is tall and clumsy and popular; quite hyperactive and thought provoking and insightful. She is silly and funny and really annoying at times.  She is wonderful though and I just want to take this moment to applaud all her efforts this year and say ............

Well done Katie!!

You really are a superstar darling and we love you to the moon and stars and forever and back.




Comments

  1. That sounds lovely and the nicest part is that she knows that no matter what you will be there for her to face it together x

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  2. A very successful year all round. Wishing all of you more of the same next year (without all the adoption frustrations of course). xxx

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  3. Great to hear about Katie's year, I hope Year 1 is even better, despite her reservations. x

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  4. Quite a milestone. Year 1 was a big shock for both of my youngest boys. It's quite a big change - there will be much less 'play' based learning and far less Mummy in the classroom. Having said that, it was also the year when they grew and progressed the most, learned more independence and started to turn in to big boys. Good luck!

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