Restoring Joy

Today was a day of affirmation for our family. A day that I wept for joy over the fact that God was affirming a decision we had made about A's education and that he was giving us even more than we had asked for.

Deciding to Redshirt A this year from Kindergarten had been a decision we wrestled with for months last year. There were days I was convinced we had to send her. Days I knew that I could not send this young child off to all day every day school at barely 5 years old.

I think part of the reason I struggled so much with the decision was that we had made one poor educational decision already for Kindergarten years ago with our oldest. We'd sent him off to all day Kindergarten at a school that was not the right place for him. It was very tough year.

Thinking that I would make a poor decision again almost stalled me from choosing. But in my heart, I kept hearing nudges to hold her out one more year. Who cares that she's tall, it doesn't matter how smart and sharp she is today, this is a long term decision.

Decision made after much prayer, consultation and discussion. Redshirt and send A to Preschool one more year. Today our decision was confirmed with red flashing lights and fireworks.

Today was meet your Teacher Day at Preschool. A has Miss Judy for Preschool. The same teacher that our oldest had eight years ago. Miss Judy, the teacher that saw so much potential in C and nourished that potential, praised his little personality and made C love school. A is going to be so blessed this year.

Our experience last year at Preschool was not stellar. We had rushed into a new school for the ease and comfort of this being our third child. We didn't do our "Due Diligence" or see if the school met our needs or that of our child. It didn't. So many of the memories we've made as a family with our Preschooler were absent last year. No "Show and Tell," No "Letter of the Week," No "Thanksgiving Feast with Pilgrim Hats," No Christmas or Valentine's Day Party, No Fall Festival or Pumpkin Patch experience, No Mother's Day Tea.

I felt like our child was just passing time. She didn't love her teachers. She never talked about the classroom or the other kids. No playdates. We just didn't have the experience I was hoping for. The only thing A really got of Preschool last year was the routine of the school experience.

I'm convinced that had we sent A to kindergarten this year it would have been a struggle for her to get excited about it. She wasn't loving school. She was just going.

Thank You God for Today. She was bubbly and excited. She was thrilled with the cool sink to wash her hands, the art center, the kitchen to play house, the circle time rug filled with color. The teachers who were so excited to see her. She glowed. She was happy.

The first thing today we walked in the room and Miss Judy gave me and A a huge hug. She said when she saw A's name on the list she wondered if she was C's little sister. She remembered all the little things about C. His love of airplanes, his funny personality, his cute smile. She said A looked just like him. How thrilled she was to have her in the class. My little shy A went right over to the art center and started to color a Veggie Tale picture. She said, "I'm going like it. Do I start today?"

Thank you Lord for restoring joy to our little preschooler's heart. To getting her excited for school for Show and Tell, for Art Centers and Field Trips to Pumpkin Patches. To Teachers Who Love You Lord and Love Our Little Girl without even knowing her yet!

There is a Bible verse that talks about restoring days/eaten away. Renewing the time spent with joy. That's what God did today. He's restoring last year with a fresh start. He's giving A a redshirt year that will build her up for the future. We are going to create great Preschool Memories this year. She's going to get on the right foot for Kindergarten next year. She might have been ready today intellectually, but now she's for sure going to be right next years socially, spiritually and intellectually.

A can't wait for next Wednesday when school actually starts. We can't wait either.

Joel 2:25 and 26 (paraphrase)

I will repay you for the year the locust have eaten ...you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has worked wonders for you.