Last Day of School!

Yesterday marked the official end of the school year, and closed out Hudson's experience in 3PK.

His first day doesn't seem all that long ago. Kayla and I were cautiously optimistic and paralyzingly petrified at the same time. We didn't know what to expect... how he would adapt to not being the center of attention... how he would interact with his peers... how well he would transition from task to task... how his teachers would handle his not being potty trained... or even how well he would follow simple directions for eating breakfast and lunch (let me tell you - meals are a messy marathon at home).

I remember putting him in his car seat and asking him questions about what was coming, making sure to record the entire interview on my phone. It's still one of my all-time favorite videos to scroll to and watch when I need a smile. As the year progressed, Hudson would ride to school with Mommy or Aunt Alicia, Molly, and Emily, and get dropped off by one of his teachers (we still can't thank you enough for this, Jess!!). We cherished the special days where we got to take part in a special event with him; the Halloween parade through the playground, his class birthday party, the Christmas Party, etc. Many of my greatest joys came from picking him up from school myself. I could often hear him as I walked down the hall to his room "my Daddy is coming to get me today!", and he would always greet me with the biggest smile and the warmest hug.

Hudson has grown so much from his year(ish) in 3PK. He amazed us daily, and proved all of our worst fears wrong. We are forever grateful to his teachers, therapists, and friendly peers for how they made him feel like a welcome addition to the school. In today's cruel world it can be painfully difficult to be accepted by your peers when you are "different." We thank God every day that Hudson was part of such a warm and accepting classroom.

These next words I write for Hudson to find someday in the not-so-distant future:

Hudson,

You are our dinosaur "super hero." We are so proud of you for everything that you've accomplished during your first year of school!! We always knew that you were so brilliantly capable of doing amazing, incredible things. And yet somehow, you managed to surprise us with how much you exceeded the aspirations that we had for you this year.

We are so sorry that "the sickness" robbed you of your final months of school. You continued to excel while at home, even with such an unexpected change in routine. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL!! The world around you is changing everyday, and we have no doubt that you will continue to be a beacon of joy to those that are fortunate enough to be around you.

Thank you for making our lives so much more interesting and full of love, laughter, and dinosaur facts than we had ever imagined possible.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Finnley

What a wild, crazy, confusing, challenging, and rewarding year it has been.