Our kiddos just finished their (first for Sailor and second for Dashel) year of daycare. I can’t believe how fast their (school) year went… and I can’t help but be so grateful for the daycare they attend. As a working mom, it’s hard to leave your kiddos for the day- there’s a lot of missing them, and sometimes, early on, some guilt, about not being able to stay home with them. But honestly, I couldn’t love their daycare more. The teachers and staff are thoughtful, sweet, and engaging. Everything is always safe and clean, and my kids are learning so much, including sharing, manners, their letters/colors/numbers, even Spanish! It’s a long road of school ahead of them, and I’m glad that this is the start of their student careers….

With the end of the school year here, and summer swinging in, I got to thinking a lot about graduations, moving on and growing up. (My kiddos will be in new rooms with new teachers when they come back in the fall!) Although their high school graduation seems like eons away (…and the thought of it seriously starts to bring tears to my eyes…) I started a graduation gift for each of them to give them on the day they finish their high school careers. (Hold on to your hats, this is a gift in the making, that takes quite a while…) I purchased two books, a different one for each of them, and had their teacher’s write personalized notes (with the dates) in each book. I plan on getting every teacher to write a note to them for each of their school years; they will be able to go back and see what their teacher’s thought of them from the time they were 6 months old to the time they were 18. (I’ve already read some of the notes and they are so sweet!!)

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Of course “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Suess is a timeless classic that many people give as graduation gifts, but if you want to branch out, here are the two I chose. (They have the sweetest stories/messages). Do you have a long term gift for your child?