The "Tissue" Moments Just Keep on Coming

Now that we are into June, I thought I might get a small break from the "tissue" moments before sending Miss Lauren off to college in August. Well, the "tissue" moments just keep on coming. This Friday is Dominic's last day of elementary school. He has been at the same school since he was three years old.  I can remember his first day of special education preschool like it was yesterday. He seemed so little (he was just barely three years old). We hadn't really been separated since he was born.
 

When the bus pulled up and he hopped on, I will not lie, it was tough.

 
Now, when that school bus pulls up, he runs down our driveway, hops on and gives the bus driver a "high five." A week ago, we met Dominic and his classmates over at the new middle school that they will be attending.  There were a few other parents from his class also waiting to go on the "tour" of the school. One of the moms remarked something like, "so, how do you think the kids will do adjusting to the new school?" She expressed to me that she was worried how the change would affect her son.  Dominic's current teacher (Mr. P)  has prepared all of the kids in the class so well for the next phase of their lives, that I am not worried at all for him (or any of the other children).  I think it slightly "rocked" Dominic's world to see the hubby, Lauren and I just appear in the middle of the day, but he was just fine after a minute or two and we were all able to go on the tour. One thing is for sure, that school is BIG!

 

 Watching Dominic from that first year of preschool:

To his last year of elementary school:

has been like watching a seed grow into a beautiful flower with many petals. Each petal on the flower represents a teacher, paraprofessional, therapist, peer (from his peer-to-peer program), etc. that have helped Dominic. I truly consider many of the people that have worked with Dominic to be my friends. The way I look at life is that you can NEVER have too many friends :)  It is truly so hard to remember how little he talked and interacted when he first started school. Just last Friday, Mr. P commented that Dominic was "extra talkative and was asking everyone how they were doing." He is quite the "social" butterfly!  I do sometimes worry that someone might take advantage of him or bully him because he is so sweet and innocent, but usually those type of thoughts go in and out of my head quickly.  I think I need to buy some stock in the company that manufactures Klennex, I foresee many more "tissue" moments ahead!!