Thursday, June 2, 2011

Noah's 5th Grade Graduation

Noah and the principal Mr. Kopperud.

Noah and his friends. Most are kids he's been friends with since Kindergarten, pre-school, or first grade.

Today was Noah's 5th Grade Graduation. As I was waiting for it to start, I suddenly remembered the last day of Kindergarten and him racing out to the car waving his report card yelling, "It says Grade One!! I passed! I passed!!" I remembered the day before Scott and I went to Hawaii and I was suppose to eat lunch with Noah, but I got the time mixed up and got there late. Mrs. Anderson showed us a room we could use to eat our McDonald's and Noah's second lunch for the day. I remembered in second grade when Max was a baby and he brought Max and his four-year-old brother for show and tell. I remembered in fourth grade when he realized he is really smart.


The first awards they gave out was for art and I was sure Noah wouldn't get one. He hates art, isn't good at it, and actually it's really hard to read his handwriting. Noah's name was the first one called. The principal gave his speech next. He mentioned how he looked at the yearbook when these kids were in kindergarten and how one kid had a great flat-top, one girl had a wonderful smile, and how he and Noah would have snack in his office every Monday to talk about the Vikings game and Noah usually knew more about it than he did. He told us later that whenever he watches the Vikings, he thinks of Noah. Little does he know, during that year and in first grade Noah had a one hour limit of "football talk" at home.


I thought of the day I took Noah to his pre-school screening when he turned five to make sure he was ready for school. The teacher asked if I had concerns and I told her I was worried he wouldn't make friends. Noah was always very picky about his friends, and there were not a lot of kids his age in the neighborhood. He'd likely know no one when school started. She told me he's cute, friendly and smart and he'll have plenty of friends. When the principal announced Noah's name to come up to get his graduation certificate and metal, the whole grade whooped and hollered. I got tears in my eyes. They like him, they really do.


When it was all done a lady who works with a special needs student in Noah's class sought me out and told me Noah is kind, caring, respectful and smart. He is everything you'd want in a kid. She said I did a good job raising him. I thanked her, and thought to say, 'he was born that way, it has very little to do with me,' but I said nothing and thought to myself, "I should have had more kids. That's one thing I do well."


Now he's playing basketball in the driveway with his BFF, the same kid he met on the first day of Kindergarten and I told Noah to sit by him because he looked like he'd be nice. He's also hoping baseball is canceled so he can play longer. I'm watching him wondering where that little boy went. How did he grow up so fast?









2 comments:

Julie said...

He is a very sweet kid. In 20 year or so, if it doesn't work out with Al, I'll see if he still wants to marry me.

Sara said...

I'm sure he will. You'll always be his first love.