Last day of Preschool

First day of Pre-K

Last day of Pre-K

Today is Henry's last day of Preschool.  

He has plenty of years of school ahead of him, and I do not necessarily subscribe to the tradition of celebrating preschool graduation (which, I am told, predates back to the time when children came of age and were taken out of school to be flogged in the fields.  Incidentally his graduation is tomorrow, and…er…there will be pictures to come.), but this is a particularly big landmark for us as we draw to a close our first year of living in Boston.  

It has been a tough year.  We knew this was a place that would take a lot of effort to love, and that our adjustment here would be sizable, but we didn't know quite how hard and overwhelming it would all be for us.  At this point in life, we have Texas and the Southwest in our blood, and our first year in New England has been (and still is) a challenge.  But sometimes I feel that the brunt of our hardship this year has unfortunately fallen on Henry.  He is old enough to sense when mom and dad are stressed, but not mature enough to fully comprehend why.  He has lost daily contact with his dearest friends, Oma and Opa, and some of his very best friends in the world, the Sawkiws.  He has had to finally see what it is like to have a new baby at home -- the one he had wanted desperately -- and deal with a frazzled mother and father who are worried about their children and are trying (sometimes unsuccessfully) to handle the difficulties that come with working in Boston.  He has adapted to the duress of living through a record-breaking winter like the one we had this year.  Despite our best efforts to help Henry feel comforted and secure, he has had to deal with more than any of us.  But he is Henry!  Always cheerful and courageous in the face of a new adventure, positive and eager to help out, and quick to turn any situation into a laughing matter, Henry has handled everything better than any of us.  He has been our example of how to cheerfully take things in stride and move forward.  He has learned the value of prayer and of turning to his Heavenly Father for comfort and support when he needs it.  He has helped his sister to feel secure and loved literally every day of her life.  

So today I celebrate the completion of this year of preschool.  It has been a big year for this kid, and I believe it speaks to his inherent goodness and to his character that he has handled it so seamlessly.

We love you, little Henry.  You are the greatest big brother in the history of ever, and the glue to our silly little family.