Letter to my children on their first day of school.

What a big day today is for both of you!

Jameson, you will be 9 years old soon and today you start THIRD grade!

How in the world is it possible that you are so big?  This summer, you have grown so much;  not only in height and weight (you've grown at least 4 inches taller, a clothes size bigger, and an entire shoe size larger!), you have grown in intelligence and maturity.  It is scary to us how smart you are.  Before long, you WILL have all the answers, or at least think you do.  I'm praying that we will actually still be able to help you with homework this year.  

We worry about you so much when it comes to your education.  We know you are smart and have problems with being bored at school.  We want you to be challenged so you can grow and have the opportunities to pursue anything you want to in the future.  You still tell us you want to be a Robotical  Engineer when you grow up, oh and a Rock Star, too. We don't know what the future holds for your education (continued public school, home school, private school), but always know that we want to give you every opportunity possible, without pushing you to a breaking point.  While we want you to have an excellent eduction, we also want you to have fun and have the opportunity to just be a kid.

You have also matured so much this summer.  You are so thoughtful and helpful (most of the time).  You rush to help me load and unload the car, you hold the door open for people in public places. You say "Ma'am" and "Sir", "Please" and "Thank You", and you also say "I'm Sorry" and mean it, which is very important.  You amaze me how sweet you are to your sister and how much you love her.  You adore Chelsea and I think you love her more than anybody else in this world (but your daddy comes in a very close second!).  You also help your Nana, without her even asking, in ways that make all of us all so proud.  Watching you grow this summer has just given me a small glimpse into the incredible man you are going to be.

I pray your first day of third grade will be fun and exciting and is just the beginning of the best school year yet!  I love you more every single day, little man and I can't wait to see what this year holds for you!

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Chelsea, you just turned 19 and today you start your SENIOR YEAR of High School.

When did this happen?  How in the world are you old enough to be a SENIOR in High School?  It just seems like yesterday you were born, and the doctors were telling us that you wouldn't live through the night.  You were the tiniest baby I've ever seen (except for your sister, who was just a few ounces lighter).  Against all odds, you lived through that first night.  We cried and prayed for you, every second of every minute that you struggled to live. The seconds turned to minutes, the minutes to hours, and eventually, the hours turned into days.  Long, long, long days.  There were some good days, and a lot of really bad days.  We would get our hopes up that you "home free", only to get that phone call in the middle of the night telling us that you had taken a turn for the worse.  I lost count of the number of times we were told to say our goodbyes to you.

BUT, you proved ALL the doctors & nurses wrong!  It was a long and difficult road, but you made it out of that hospital, five months after you were born.  You struggled with your health for the next few years, and survived more things than a "normal" healthy child ever could.

You started therapy when your health improved, but we were told by more than one "professional" that you would never be able to do anything.  You wouldn't sit up, you wouldn't crawl, you wouldn't walk, you wouldn't talk, you wouldn't feed yourself.  We were told you would basically be a vegetable needing 24 hour a day care.

Does THIS look like a vegetable?

Again, against ALL odds, you proved them wrong!  You sat up, you crawled, you walked, you RAN!  You smiled, you laughed, you winked!  It took you a long time, but you TALKED, too!  You went to school, you learned to write, you learned to READ!  I don't know about you, but I've never seen a "vegetable" read.

But even if you didn't learn to read and write, you are so much more than anything you could ever learn in school.  You are the sweetest, kindest, happiest, friendliest, most loving, and most compassionate person I've ever known!  You light up the room when you walk in.  You never meet a stranger.  Everybody wants to be your friend.  You see the beauty and good in everything and everybody.  You "feel" the people around you and just know when they need a big ol' hug.  I am in complete awe of you and feel so lucky to be your mommy.

So, my precious Chelsea-Belle, I pray this first day of your last year of school, will be the first of many days that bring you nothing but happiness, laughter, and excitement!  I love you more than I ever thought was possible!

Thank you God for allowing me to be their mommy!

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