It's As If God Knew

What did I see in Ella's cubby at school today? Her progress report, of course! And not only her progress report, but also an outline determining what skills and knowledge a kid needs in order to begin kindergarten successfully.

God, you heard our prayers! It is exactly the kind of information we were looking for to ease our decision-making. It is exactly what we need to know in Ella's development. God, You were listening and You clearly demonstrated that to us today.

The timing is unbelievably God and I feel unbelievably comforted.

As for Ella's progress report...Ella is developing normally in most areas, but needs further development in a handful of areas.

Ella is developing normally in the following categories:

• Social development (except, she needs further development in repsecting the property of others and in displaying self-control);
• Work/play habits;
• Small muscle;
• Large muscle (favors left, though, being left-handed like Daddy);
• Development in art;
• Development in music;
• Number development; and
• Language development.

Ella needs further development in the following categories:

• Personal development (mainly her phone number and address, but she even sometimes needs guidance in remembering her birthday, believe it or not!);
• Cognitive development (mainly recognizing letters of the alphabet and numbers, although she can recognize her own name (and letters in her name, like when we go to Lowe's, she points out the "E" and "L" on the big sign));
• Written development (mainly forming letters correctly (the letters in her name turn out right, but her way of writing them is funky) and working from left to right (her name is 9 times out of 10 written backwards)).

Photo courtesy of Google Image.

Mrs. Kathleen's comment at the end of the progress report said the following:

"Ella is doing well in so many areas. There are also areas to work on and with age and maturity those areas will develop. In her excitement she will get very loud and we work on that in class, and she gets upset at others easily - but she's kind, fun and helpful and that certainly outweights the other. She is a joy!"

Yes, our Ella Bella shows how she feels. When she's excited, YOU KNOW IT. And when she's not very happy, YOU KNOW IT. She is also pretty sensitive and wears her heart on her sleeve, so I can completely understand the comment about her getting upset at others easily. But, on the upside, she also very easily calms down, forgives (if need be) and moves on.

As for getting loud when excited. Yes, that's also very true. There's nothing wrong with showing excitement, but, of course, in a classroom environment, it's good to be respectful of and courteous to the teacher and follow students.

After reading the paperwork listing skills and knowledge that is expected of kids before entering kindergarten, I see that Ella really is ready. Naturally, there's a good chunk of things she hasn't yet mastered, but like Mrs. Kathleen wrote, "With age and maturity those areas will develop."

A part of me is so proud! So proud of my little girl for doing so well. She's such a bright, observant, opinionated, expressive, loving, free-spirited, mindful, inquisitive, attentive, amusing, creative, stubborn, sensitive, sympathetic and simply amazing girl! :)

But, then there's the other part of me...the part of me that wishes she wasn't so clearly independent. That she still depended on me for things she once did. That she didn't have such a crystal clear progress report indicating she's ready for kindergarten. That she needed that extra year of development before my worst nightmare coming true...of my little girl growing up and going to kindergarten with still only a dream of a sibling.

But, despite my mothering neediness, Aaron and I have made our decision of enrolling Ella in kindergarten next year and are at complete peace with it (which I never really thought would be possible). I wish she didn't have to grow up so quickly. I wish I could rewind time. But, growing up is what she is doing. And, unfortunately for me (sigh), she's very good at it.