Kindergarten here we come again...

After much consideration, praying, and down right crying we (my husband and I) decided to keep the Rooster in Kindergarten one more year. We know all the logical reasons why: he's a young six, he will be at the top of his class, he will gain so much confidence, etc. but nothing prepares you for the heartbreak. While he is completely thrilled that he will be with his teacher again and gets to be her special assistant next year I for one am emotionally spent. We started by telling him that we had heard that his teacher was going to pick one student to be her special assistant next year. He started to cry so I thought "great, here we go!" Turns out he was crying because he wanted to be picked. When I told him it would be him, he was excited. Then it hit him (for one second)... He said "my friends are all going to first grade," and started to cry. It took every fiber of my being to hold it together. I quickly explained how hard first grade would be and that his friends would not have share time, free choice, and all the fun things one does in Kindergarten. Ecstasy, palpable and raw, blatantly on his face and he said "don't worry mommy I'll make new friends." Today was his Kindergarten celebration. Thankfully it was not a graduation but a celebration of the year. My big brave boy got up there and shared his memories of the year. But the one that broke my heart was when he said that what he would remember the most about Kindergarten were his friends. I was doing sooo good until that moment. I bravely tried to pull it together but could not. He was fine and I was giving him the thumbs up but it was hard. The final blow came with the slide show and the pictures of him and his buddies... He is such a gentle and brave soul. I am so proud of him. He really has showed me what courage is. "Stand up tall. To become a real boy you must prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish."