Something I have dreamed about...

When I was teaching, and parents would come to volunteer in the classroom, I knew that volunteering in my own child's classroom was something I definitely would not want to miss out on...the only thing I was worried about was- if I was teaching, how could I be involved in my kid's classrooms at the same time?

Fortunately I am taking a few years off from teaching so that I am not going to miss those times I often daydreamed about in the past.

TODAY was my first official volunteer day in Dominic's kindergarten classroom and it was such a pleasure to be on the "other side." I got to enjoy these little guys and watch in amusement at all the things I may have tried to correct or guide as the teacher. Just listening to them read to me, not having to make notes or plans about what I was hearing, but ONLY getting to celebrate every little thing they did was fabulous! I listened to their stories, their thoughts, and laughed whole-heartedly with them for 2 full hours! I did not intend to stay that long, but we were just having so much fun learning together I could not leave.

It was so fun to watch our little guy in his learning environment. He was the helper to the new kid from New Zealand. No matter how many times we reminded him to use his quiet voice, his enthusiastice LOUD voice came out (thanks Daddy!). Some thing truly are hereditary! Dom listened thoughtfully, with hands folded each time there was a group lesson...although one time he did ask me if he could sit on my lap (music to a mother's ears). When rolling the dice, counting out the "diamonds" and then seeing how many he and his partner had together, his smile was contagious- I couldn't help but be drawn to him. He proudly asked me to listen to him read the books from his book box, and his finger followed the words across the page so carefully...I didn't even have to remind him! Our little guy is not so little any more and I am proud of the boy he is and is becoming. Today was such a great day!