So proud...

Okay, get ready for a proud mommy post...yes, I'm going to brag about my preschooler...I'm allowed to once in awhile, right?
I'm a little late in posting this, but as the saying goes, better late than never--
Caitlin's learning center hosted parent-teacher conferences last week. Since we just started in May, this was our first opportunity to attend. We booked our appointment for Thursday morning with Ms. Maryls, Caitlin's teacher.
We must be doing something right as parents because Ms. Maryls sang Caitlin's praises. She told us how Cait is the "little mommy" of her class, making sure that the other kids are okay, urging them along and things like that. Apparently, she is also a natural born leader and her enthusiasm is contagious with the other kids. My child, a social butterfuly? Could we have a future world leader on our hands?
We also talked about how advanced Cait is for her age, especially in her oral communications skills. I continue to be amazed by some of the words that I hear her say and the way that she constructs sentences and tells stories. Ms. Maryls told us that Caitlin has the cutest imagination and that she gets a kick out of watching her play pretend with the other children or "read" a book. Caitlin will make up a story to go along with the pictures that she sees. She also has an incredible memory. Like at home, Ms. Maryls will read a book a few times and if they read it again, even weeks later, she will notice that Caitlin is mouthing the words to the book. Here at home, we have a bedtime ritual where we read the same books just about every night. Currently on her reading list are: Knuffle Bunny, an adorable story about a little girl who leaves her favorite bunny at the laundry mat; What Do You Do With A Kangaroo?, this book, my mom used to read to me when I was little, and Why The Banana Split. What simply amazes me is that if you ask her questions from these books, she can answer them. For example, if you ask her what the basketball players did in Why the Banana Split, without missing a beat, that "They went traveling". I can barely remember where I put my keys most days, much less the storyline of a book I just read.
About 6 months ago, I took Caitlin to the school district to have her evaluated because, I'd though that she was "advanced" for her age but wanted to see if it was true of if I was just another proud mom bragging about her child. Well, it turned out that our suspicions were correct. Caitlin tested at just shy of a 4 year old intellect level. They wanted us to place her in preschool then, but we didn't feel that she was developmentally ready. Now however, she is, at least for junior preschool. Ms. Maryls assured us that she was blossoming and that she was going to recommend that Caitlin to promoted to full-blown preschool in the fall! My 3 year old, in preschool! I'm so proud of her.
There are days when I wonder how I'm doing as a parent...those days when I loose my cool or I just want to be left alone. It takes a few days like this parent-teacher conference to reassure me that I'm doing a good job. Now, if only we could nail the potty-training!
Thanks for letting me brag...I truly am so proud of the smart and whitty little girl that my daughter has become. She is a firecracker and it has been a joy & a challenge raising her so far.