Back to School as a 2nd Grader!!

Summer is over and you are back at Irmo Elementary School as a 2nd grader! You are so excited and want to be both a nanny and a math teacher when you grow up. Dad and I pray that this is your best year yet and that you apply yourself in the areas that you love like math and art and really challenge yourself to do your best in the areas that you don't enjoy as much (reading, etc.) You are a great student all the way around and we know that if you put your mind to it, you will learn and achieve more than ever this year. Our prayer is also that you stay grounded and sweet and use the drama that you're so good at in a positive and creative way and show Jesus' love to everyone you meet!  Have a great year, darling!!

Summer 2019

Maddy,

 I could talk about all the fun things we did and I could talk about all the daily arguments and temper tantrums there were. I mean it was bad this summer and I felt like I failed you at every turn whether it was losing my temper in response to you losing yours or not being patient when you obviously had reasons for being so upset. It just killed me that I couldn’t get to the bottom of those reasons and help you. I think you are smart beyond your age and it’s hard to reconcile your thoughts and emotions sometimes. I think you are incredibly emotional and dramatic, which I’m sure you’ll put to great use one day. I could go on and on with my parenting fears and doubts, but instead I’m going to talk about our last day of summer. Today was perfect! It was exactly what we needed to end this emotional summer: we dropped Andrew at daycare, came home and hung out for a bit and then got our toes done! You held my hand in the spa chair and we talked and laughed. We then ate Firehouse

Subs and had a fabulous dance party in your room. After that we went to a movie. We didn’t argue at all and we laughed so much my stomach hurt! We reminisced about your career choices over the years: airplane driver, geologist, famous dj, nanny and now a nanny and mathematician at the same time!

It’s days like today where we connect and I realize that we do have the relationship that I’ve always prayed for. We just have a lot of obstacles that get in the way of it and make it difficult ( you having to help with brother, being forced to do chores and reading, not getting your way, to name a few). But the foundation is there and I vow to not let anything permanently harm our relationship. Every day will not be perfect like today and that’s ok. As long as you know I’m always here for you no matter what and we end up best friends on the other side of your growing up I can handle anything that comes my way now. I love you more than I can express in words!