Today Jason is graduating from 4th grade and leaving behind Willette Elementary School. My little champ is growing up so fast, and I just have to take a step back and remember all that he has accomplished.
When Jason was born with an undiagnosed cleft lip and palate on 9/30/2000 I was a mess, I didn't know what life would hold for him or for us. The struggles that he would face scared me, would he be teased? would he fit in? what limitations would he face? How could me and Charlie handle this?
The first year of his life was by far the most trying, learning to eat (and me learning to feed) as a baby with a hole in the roof of his mouth was scary. The multiple surgeries he went thru that first year were to say the very least stressful. But Jason always came out of the hospital with big smiles and that JOkER grin cracked me up... he was and is still so full of life.
This has been an amazing year for Jason, he earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do, got a girlfriend {he won't admit to}, Has earned the priviledge to ride his bike without a parent hovering so he can "hang" with his friends, got his first cell phone. DID I mention, that he also grew his hair long and shabby and his favorite Jeans have so many rips and tears that they look like they have been run over by multiple lawn mowers?
And now my baby boy is starting a new chapter of his life, as a Middle School Student~heading into 5th grade. This is a bitter sweet day for me. And I am sure a very scary time for him.
