Kindergarten

Ashton rocked Kindergarten!  Honestly the year couldn't have gone any better. He had the best teacher, I truly couldn't have asked for anyone better. Mrs. Sloter was so kind, soft spoken, loving, so understanding, patient and truly invested in her students.  She wanted Ashton to succeed. She also wanted to give Ashton the opportunity to fail.  Ash is a bit of a perfectionist. He never got in trouble, however Mrs. Sloter would encourage him to try and to be silly in class, and to know it was ok if he ever did get in trouble (which he never did).

I was explaining to Ashton one night how I love him no matter what, even if he gets in trouble at home (which definitely happens) and if he gets sent to his room or has privileges taken away it doesn't mean that I don't still love him.  He looked up at me with his big eyes and said "Just like Jesus and Mrs. Sloter?!" The fact that he knew Jesus and his kindergarten teach would always love him no matter what warmed my heart and also made me realize I needed to step up my game to get ranked up there with Jesus and Mrs. Sloter!

He had several friends from his Pre-K class and he made several new friends.  The second part of Kindergarten he really blossomed both socially and academically. I volunteered at the school about once a week with Julian, who was the best little helper. It was so fun to join Ashton for lunch and watch his interactions with his buddies.  His best friends were: Aislinn (in another class but they were best friends in PreK too), Marvin, Ryan, Desmond, and Noah.  Ashton takes time to warm up to people but to know that he had such great buddies who were kind and caring to meet him at school everyday was all I could ask for.

He excelled in reading and math.  Math was often too boring for him he said, as he really caught on to things quickly.  He absolutely loved science and learning about the solar system and plants and animals. They took a field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo and Ashton asked Dad if he would come and help on the field trip.  Jason said it was hilarious watching the "tickle wars" going around between him and his friends all day.  Coming from a boy who hated other people touching him at the beginning of the year...

We moved the day after Kindergarten graduation.  So we were very lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Snyder in town to celebrate Ashtons awesome year.  While my heart broke watching him say goodbye to friends, his school, and his teacher.  I was also bursting with pride and joy at the great strengths and accomplishments he had acquired over the past year.  While the days were long, spending hours in the car driving back and forth to his school.  (Poor Julian got the worst of it, spending two hours a day just getting dragged along back and forth.) I wouldn't trade the experiences, friends and blessings we received from Ashton being able to attend Chapell Hill Academy.