The day I feel in love with her all over again...

Today was my very first parent/teacher conference.  

And I was nervous.

For lots of reasons but mostly because I wanted to hear someone tell me that they see the same amazing, stubborn, smart, creative little beauty I see.  

Well, maybe "wanted" is not the right word.

NEEDED.

Every momma knows that feeling.  

So before I tell you about the meeting, I should tell you about Aubrey Kate's teacher.  She's not ooey-gooey sweet but more professionally distant.  She doesn't hug the kids when they walk in the room or make over-exagerated faces at every story they want to tell.  She's steady and calm.

Honestly, I've had to get used to that.  Because I want everyone to scoop Aubrey Kate up and love her to pieces.  Big, loud, strong.

She's not that.  And I am okay with it.  

I mean, it took me a while.  But I got there.

I wasn't sure what to expect today.  Her letter home this fall said something along the lines of enjoying watching Aubrey Kate's little personality starting to show.

Starting to show?

Let's not forget, my kid was the girl who ran into the class the first day and yelled, "I'm hhhhheeerrrrrrreeeeeeeee!"

Word.

So I guess I felt like we might not be on the same page about my little miracle and I was a little anxious about that.  

The meeting started off with a review of AK's skills.  She knows all her colors, her letters, her numbers and her shapes.  Including hexagon, which tricks all the other kiddos, apparently.

Flash cards.  They work.

Jumping, hopping on one foot, skipping and running.  Check.

She's good at following directions.  Loves being a leader (shock.).  Gets along well with the other kids.  Knows what she wants to do and knows what she doesn't want to do.  She doesn't let anyone push her around but she's kind.  She will play with the other girls when they are playing something she enjoys (like school or doctor) but is fine to be on her own.  She is in love with writing.  Which we've also seen at home.  She loves practicing her letters.

Being left handed doesn't appear to slow her down. Holds the pencil correctly and has since she picked up her first crayon.  She does make circles in a different direction from all us right-handed (READ: boring) people.  She will draw a line from right to left instead of left to right.  But she draws the line and that's fine.  Uses her left-handed scissors correctly and well.  

What I loved hearing the most is how she has changed.  The teacher said she started the year unhappy and defiant.  If she didn't want to do something, she would simply plant her feet on the ground and then NOT do it.  She would cry and cross her arms and generally pitch a beauty of a fit.  But she has now grown into a fun, happy, joyful child.  No more tears or fits.  Just a happy kid.

I shared with her how we felt the same.  Explained she had started her terrible threes at about 2 1/2 and thankfully (GOD IS GOOD) grew out of them at around 3 1/2.  The teacher laughed and said that was good to know because the rest of the class seems to be smack in the middle of them now.

The teacher said she had no concerns about Aubrey Kate and thinks she will do fine next year and well in Kindergarten.  

My only questions were about her socialization.  I know she's smart.  Verbally she runs circles around even me some days.  But...is she nice?  Does she treat the other kids well?  Do they like and accept her?  I know she tends to lean towards bossy (no idea where she gets that.) but does she do so with respect?  

The teacher assured me she is nice and treats the other kids well.  And likewise, they treat her well.  At this stage, the kids are okay with her playing with them when she wants to and then doing her own thing when she'd rather be by herself.  I've been down that road.  The other kids won't always be fine with it.  But as long as she's okay with those decisions, she'll survive.  Sometimes knowing what you don't want to do is more important than knowing what you want.  

No kid goes through childhood being liked by everyone and honestly, that's fine.  Good, actually.  But I want her response to always be kind, respectful and grace-filled.  Not because it's the right thing or the moral thing to do.  But because I want her to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Don't do something because it's the right thing to do.  Do it because it shines Christ's love.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.  

She's three and is apparently doing well.  

And this momma got to hear exactly what I was hoping to hear.  The little miracle daughter God loaned to us to train and direct her towards Him is, well, beautiful.  Inside and out.