It’s hard to believe that the school year is over, it feels like just yesterday that I watched Cameron get on the bus for the very first time. It feels like just yesterday that I sat looking at the clock wondering what he was doing, wondering if he was OK.

He was placed in the Accelerated Reading Program early on. When I was a kid I had major problems with reading and was always behind a grade level, so when I was told the Cameron was reading ahead of the curve I was overjoyed. Reading wasn’t his only strong subject either. My son is a math wiz. MY KID! Talk about being a proud mama.

Through the year we had some issues with his behavior but his teacher told me she thought he wasn’t being challenged enough and was bored. We worked together to get his behavior in line and he has thrived.

Sure we had some struggles along the way, most of them bus related. There was the three hour bus ride home on the first day. Followed by the changing of his bus (without my knowledge). Then we had the bullying incident that lasted for months and had me threatening to press assault charges on a six year old if it wasn’t handled. That link was only the beginning of the story. By January I was on a first name basis with the second in command of the district and had had many conversations with the principal.

So here we are now. We’ve made it through this journey called Kindergarten and I now have a first grader on my hands.

I’m sitting here thinking about the school year and all that Cameron has accomplished in a relatively short period of time, it has me in complete awe. That’s my chubby little baby, he can’t possibly be finishing his first year of school.

He will never know how proud he has made me.

As we enter into the Summer Of Mommyland, one of my main goals is to make sure he keeps learning and is ready to hit the ground running for first grade.

The last day.

No he wasn’t sad it was his last day, he didn’t want his picture taken. You’d think these kids would be used to having their pictures taken for mommy’s blog.

How will you keep your child’s mind active over the summer?

Yesterday Cameron had his very first field trip. Five classes of kindergarteners went to the Adventure Aquarium.

When I told people he was going on his first field trip they asked if I was going too. Other mothers from his class and pod at school asked if I was going too. Oh my God no! There is no way I could handle spending the day with that many kindergartners…Not unless there was a bottle of wine involved.

I know my limits and spending the day with that many kids would have been a stretch for me. In all fairness though, I do have Logan to worry about too.

I was ok with not going. Like I said, I know my limits.

On the way down to the bus stop I talked to Cameron about listening to the teachers and that there would be chaperones that the needs to listen to. I reminded him to go to the bathroom before he got on the bus to leave and that if he had to go while they were on the trip to tell someone right away. We discussed proper behavior on the bus and at the aquarium.

Then his bus came. As I was walking him to the bus, that’s when it hit me. Why aren’t I going with him? Why wouldn’t I suck it up and be a chaperone and go to the stinking aquarium?

Now I start to fight back the tears as I tell him to have a wonderful time and that I love him.

I’ve been there for every single one of Cameron’s first. His first foods. His first steps. His first word. His first day of school. I was there when he lost his first tooth (yesterday morning). Why the HELL wasn’t I there for his first field trip too?

The kid had a blast and I’m sure he did much better without me there, but I feel like I missed a milestone that I can never get back.

Boy am I getting sappy in my old age.

 Cameron showing off his lost tooth (another first)