Today My Heart Sings

Being a parent is (for the most part) a shit job. You have to be the tough guy, and "ruin all the fun" - as Dude is fond of saying - and wipe bums, and enforce bedtimes, and make sure homework gets done, and baths get had, and that there isn't too much "screen time", and that all the learning opportunities are taken advantage of and that your child grows up to be a fully-functioning member of society. And you get paid for your troubles with hugs, and snuggles, and kisses, and "I love yous", and seeing your child grow and learn and become the person they were meant to be.

And sometimes you really hit the jackpot...

You see, Lucas' Grade Two teacher is very pregnant, and her last day of school was last Friday before she started her maternity leave. I had been asking Lucas all that week if he wanted to give something to Mrs. Kakish on Friday, if maybe he wanted to draw her a picture and give it to her on her last day. And he said he did, but he never got around to it. Well, at the eleventh hour, I finally made him sit at the table and draw something. Perhaps a car, like he had been drawing every other day that week? No. He wanted to draw some flowers.

I had to pull out a real vase for him to use as inspiration. And then he was off. He drew the basics with a pencil and then started colouring in the flowers. He told me right off the bat that the one in the middle was a marigold, and the one on the right was a "Christmas flower." He wasn't sure what the pink one could be, so I suggested maybe a petunia. And then I helped him spell it. And I told him that a "poinsettia" was a Christmas flower, and helped him spell that. And then he opened up Plants vs. Zombies on the iPad so he could see how to spell marigold.

And then I told him that he should probably at least write "to Mrs. Kakish" somewhere on there, and also sign his name. And so he wrote this beautiful note to her. He needed help spelling a couple of words, but otherwise this is all Lucas. 

Now this may not seem like a big deal to many parents, but last year at the time - hell even a month or two ago - I would not have expected Lucas to be able to compose a short note on his own, and come up with an idea for a sweet drawing for his teacher. And to do it without a freak out! Unheard of.

Dude, you have come a long way. Mom got a little choked up when you were writing your special note to your teacher. I hope Mrs. Kakish knows how much she means to us, and how much she has helped you in the short time you have been working with her already this year.

I am a lucky lady...

later loves