this is a boy who finished kindergarten today!
whoo hoo!
(and thank you, irvine, for the crazy-late last day, right? most kids are already half-done with summer by now!)
i can't say kindergarten has been an easy year.
there were many days jackson did not want to go,
and it definitely did not live up to the visions i had in my head.
but to say i'm proud of this little boy would be the understatement of the year.
jackson entered kindergarten barely writing his name.
now he is writing multiple sentences.
he entered kindergarten counting to twenty.
now he's counting to over 100. and adding numbers together.
there is not a day that goes by that this sweet kid doesn't amaze me.
with his super-smart brain.
his kind heart.
and his perseverance despite things being difficult.
we felt like today was a day to celebrate.
last week, cars land opened at california adventures.
if you know jackson, you know there are a few things he loves.
and when i say love, i mean love.
(let's be honest. he is high-functioning autistic. so love = obsession)
fountains. electronics.... and cars.
for the last four years,
we have lived and breathed cars in our house.
so when he found out there was going to be a CARS LAND....
oh man.
he knew it opened on june 15th.
but we were not going to submit ourselves to opening day madness.
we gave him a lot of reasons why we had to wait,
and convinced him we would go in july.
tricky mommy & daddy!
we picked him up from school today
with a new cars t-shirt and no sisters.
just us.
just him.
ready to experience something we had dreamed about,
talked about, and watched many you-tube videos about.
you would think he would have been over-the-moon excited,
but in truth...
he was kinda a nervous wreck.
first... he does not like the unknown.
it makes him super anxious.
and... there were a lot of people.
and...this was big. really big for him.
probably like if i got to go on the set of my favorite tv show or something.
maybe bigger.
he was actually going to go INTO RADIATOR SPRINGS.
friends...
it is amazing.
like, i actually found myself crying walking down the street.
it was like they had taken the movie and plopped it down in the center of california adventures.
(and added a billion human tourists, btw)
like i said... we have lived cars in our house for years now.
so this also held a lot of significance for us.
and it totally lived up to all the hype in my head.
so here are some pics from our time today.
just a few hours, but they really are memories i'll have forever.
experiencing this adventure with my sweet little boy for the first time.
his little hand in mine.
his giant smile when he saw lighting mcqueen driving down the street.
his anxiety before he rode a new ride.
his joy as he rode on his daddy's shoulders and drank his very own sprite that he didn't have to share with his sisters.
it was a good day.
a really good day.
he was very excited to see the pixar parade, too.
it is super fantastic!
(minus their need to squirt water out of every.single.float.)
he was SO nervous about riding radiator springs racers.
he was terrified that it would be a fast ride, and was in tears as we got on.
but that ride is absolutely amazing.
the best ride at disneyland.
i think he liked it, too.
thumbs up for surviving a new ride!
my jackson orian.
today we celebrate you.
life is not always easy.
but you keep trying.
you teach me to find joy in the little things.
and to work hard, even when life is difficult.
i am so proud to be your mommy.
and i can't believe you are a big first grader now.
let's enjoy the summer first, shall we?
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