SO PROUD!

Over the past few days I have been busy helping in different ways at Cam’s school for all of the end of the year celebrations and out of nowhere it hit me hard today that I will soon have a second grader in the house. Now, most will say it’s just second grade. But it’s the fact that he is growing up, moving forward and making such huge progress. When I look back at where we started at the beginning of first grade and I see all of the progress he has made socially and academically my eyes fill with tears of pride. At the beginning of the year he had no friends, he had meltdowns more than he didn’t, he yelled out all the time and he hated being at school. I cried every night because I wanted to make it better for him and I wanted his life to be easier. Some days I can honestly say I do not like Autism and the struggles that I watch Cam and all of our children on the spectrum go through and at the beginning of the school year I REALLY did not like it at all! I didn’t feel it was fair that my child has so many more struggles. (I still don’t feel it’s fair…)

But today as I was dropping him off to class I stood there and watched him talking to the other children in the class, something that he never did in the beginning of the school year. I stood there with pride as he was talking to them about what they were holding and asking them questions and showing interest. Things like this do not come easy for him, but he was doing them. Then I talked to his teacher about how far she thought he had come this year and how she believes he is very ready for the second grade. Academically I was never too worried, he’s a very smart kiddo. (Yes, I realize I am biased because I am his very proud mom…but his teachers also believe this too.) But socially from the beginning of the school year I was very concerned. I was crying and having anxiety on whether or not he was going to be ready for second grade. Recently though it’s like the stars aligned and things started coming together for him. His meltdowns at school are far and few between. His calling out isn’t nearly as bad as it was AND he’s making friends!

He still has a long way to go with certain areas, but today I am not looking at any of that. Today I am celebrating how far he has come and how proud of him I am. I am celebrating that I will soon have an incredible second grader in my house and that we have a fun filled summer break to enjoy and play dates to have with some of HIS friends! As I sit here and cry with pride I am celebrating that we made it as a family through this year, the ups and downs…we all made it. I am celebrating and beyond thankful that he has had two incredible teachers who never gave up on him, who fought for him and who TRULY believe in him. I am thankful that he is making friends and that these friends are accepting him for him. Cam is one awesome kiddo and I am beyond proud of how far he has come this school year!