"Proud" Does Not Even Cover It!

WARNING: This is a complete and total "Mama Brag". You are allowed to skip this post. ;)

My kids are doing so well! I'm just so proud of them that I could burst with Joy!

Friday was the Awards Ceremony and the last day of school at the children’s school and I just have to share with y'all how well they did!

Monkey1 was a SUPER STAR at the fifth grade Awards Ceremony / Graduation today. While most kids got 1 or 2 awards [half the kids got no awards at all], she got TEN awards, including some really prestigious ones. Every time she would sit down they would call her name again for another award.

Here are the Awards she got:

1. “Outstanding performance” in the Honor Chorus [this is already an elite group and she got an award for outstanding performance]
2. The award for “Musical Excellence” out of her whole class
3. The award for “Highest Average” in Social Studies in her whole class
4. The award for “Highest Average” in Reading for the whole class
5. The award for “Highest Average” in Language Arts for the whole class
6. The award for “Highest Average” in Science in the whole class
7. She got an award for being the “Junior Fire Chief” for her class and helping the school place number 1 in the county wide fire safety competition – it was a huge deal, half the fire department showed up to give her a medal and a certificate.
8. She was one of 4 kids in the whole 5th grade [97 students] who got “All A’s” for the entire year – not one B – and she got an award for that “High Honor Roll”
9. The one she is most excited about was the President’s Education Award for “Outstanding Academic Excellence”, which is a very prestigious award that came with a pin
10. The one she *should* have been most excited about was her award for Accelerated Reading. To give you an idea, they started giving out awards to the handful of kids out of the class who got 50-59 AR points for the year. Then they had a few that had 60-69 points, a couple had 70-79 and 80-89 and 90-99. Only four students had gotten 100 AR points and they got a special award [and a Tshirt]. Then, the final award that was given out was Monkey1’s. The principal gave it to her and made a speech about how amazing Monkey1 is. She set the all time AR record with 668.8 points in AR this year – breaking a record that stood for 12 years. She got a heavy engraved medal [a “real” medal] that had her award engraved on the back of it. The Principal also said that *Monkey1* had inspired them to start a new program for AR at their school. They had a plaque made with her name and her # of points engraved on it and every year they will add the highest scoring AR kid from each class for each year that follows – her name and her record will stand in the school for as long as the school stands. The Principal said they plan to use her achievement to challenge students for many years to come. This is a monumental achievement.

Monkey2 got two awards - they did not do extensive awards for 2^nd grade, and he is the only kid who got two – the other kids in his class all got one. He got an award for “Most Improved Reader” out of the entire second grade and for his class he got the award “Most Improved Boy” [in general I guess LOL!].

Monkey3 and Monkey4 did not get awards because they don’t do awards at that age level.

The kids also did outstanding on their report cards. Monkey1 got all A’s [of course]. Monkey2 got all A’s except for an 89 in Spelling. Monkey3 got all A’s except for Spelling. Apparently they take after me with the spelling… ;) Monkey4 is in pre-K and did not get a report card.

We also got their CRCT results – Monkey1 “exceeded expectations” in every single area and she maxed out reading – got the most points possible. I expected that. However, Monkey2 exceeded expectations in every single area as well – and HE *maxed out reading* as well – from a kid who could not read at all when he started this year to maxing out the test. His teacher broke down in tears – sobbing – when she showed me the results, she was SO proud of him. It is truly incredible. And his math score was through the roof as well [he only missed one question on math]. She said they will be testing him for Kaleidescope [Gifted Program] next year. And Monkey3, whose teacher wanted to *retain* her for first grade again in January [because of poor reading] ALSO Exceeded expectations in every area! There was no more talk of retaining her to repeat the grade - she’s on to second grade! [We are ALL late readers in our family – Monkey3 is doing the same thing Monkey1 and Monkey2 did – and that I did – in reading – we just read late, but once we do catch on, we are excellent at reading! LOL!]

But what is even more important than the academics: I was amazed that every single kid’s teacher and many teachers I did not even know, tracked me down on the last day of school to talk about what amazing kids my children are. How sweet they are, how kind, what good little *people* they are. Every single teacher claimed that my kid was their “favorite” in the class , and they were very sincere. The music teacher, who teaches all 4 of my school aged children, broke down sobbing about how wonderful all four of the kids are, how sweet they are, how well behaved, how much she enjoyed teaching them. That’s pretty incredible.

Almost every teacher also said something to the effect of "I know what you guys have been through this year, and it is just amazing how well your kids have done. You've done a great job with them!" Which was very encouraging to hear!

I don't know how the kids have thrived through all of the hell with their dad. Certainly we are much better off without him, and that helps. But they've had a lot of change and loss in this past year [lost their dad 'cause he left them and hardly has any contact now; they lost their neighbors and friends and homeschool group because we moved; and then they lost their Godmother, who was like their second mom.] It is a lot to lose.

I look around at it all and I think "Why aren't my children a bunch of psycho delinquents?" There is only one answer to that:

ONLY GOD could have brought us here, so happy and healthy! And I will Praise Him always! He truly IS so Kind and Merciful!

Also, a HUGE thanks goes out to so many of you that have prayed for us so hard for so long - God does hear and He does answer. Thank you so much. :)

The only sad note of the last day of school was that I emailed their father to let him know how well they did. I used to send him updates weekly, but he ignored them. Then I just sent updates when something really special or really bad happened; but he ignored those too. So, I gave up - he just frankly doesn't care and doesn't want to be bothered - that's plain. But this was SO huge, I thought *surely* he'd at least want to call the kids and say "Great job!" or *something*!

But no.... 2 days later and he never responded at all. How sad is that?

Kids this awesome sure deserve better. [ALL kids deserve better!]

But that's OK - they have lots of other people who love them, including their Father in Heaven who will NEVER get sick of them, will never forsake them, and will never, ever let them down.

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Below are pictures of the kids on the Last Day of School:


Monkey1 with her very proud teacher!


Monkey2 with his wonderful teacher.


Monkey3 with her excellent teacher.


Monkey4 with her sweet teacher.


Monkey6 and Monkey5 playing on the school playground after the Awards Ceremony.