5th Grade Graduation......

What a year. What an amazing year. So many wonderful things have happened in this last year for all of us, but I have to say, one of my favorites has been 5th grade for Madison. My, my, how she has matured! Her body has grown... it's unbelievable to see the difference from the beginning to the end of the year. She's looking like a young lady now. But her mind has grown, too. She's not so impulsive, she's more social (maybe a little TOO social!), she's conscious of her friend's feelings, she's made friends with all different groups of people, she's made tremendous strides in school.... I guess I could go on and on. As much as I've always thought I'd dread seeing her grow older, I must say I was wrong..... it's been a wonderful experience. I think we're even more connected now and understand one another even better. I couldn't be more proud of her, and I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I can't wait to watch her grow and mature and become the person she was always meant to be.

Madison came home from school a month or so ago with a big, bright smile on her face and said, "Mom, read this!!" It turned out to be a letter from her teacher telling us how Madison was chosen to be one of two 5th graders to write a commencement essay and deliver it at her 5th grade graduation. She was so excited, and I loved seeing that pride in her. I've always thought Madison was a pretty smart girl, but for various reasons, she went through a few years from 2nd to 3rd grade where she had some real doubts about herself and her abilities. Seeing the strides she has made in 4th and 5th grade, and now being chosen for speak at her commencement, well, it makes a momma really happy to see her believe in herself again. So thank you Mrs. Bennett and the other teachers who selected Madison and Jada. You'll never know how much it meant to her!

Madison with Casey before the ceremony. Poor thing, as soon as she saw me, she had this really awful look on her face, and she said, "Mom, I feel like I'm gonna throw up. I can't do this." But she did! She and Jada both did a great job, and when you look at this next picture, you'll see why she was so nervous!

There were more than 500 people in that room!

I told her (only afterward, of course) that I WOULD have thrown up!

Mr. Wilson with Senator Little and Representative Hubbard as they acknowledged him for his winning Teacher of the Year for the state of Alabama -- We're Sooooo Proud of him and sooooo lucky to have him at Ogletree!