Melody Carter

May Changes Everthing

When I say that May changes everything. Well…It’s because everything really did change in May. We made the difficult decision to put Maylin and Camden in public school in the fall. That was probably one of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever made. And then Maleah graduated from high school. Another huge emotional milestone. So, between those 2 HUGE events I have been an emotional wreck for the last few months!

When we signed the kids up for school Maylin was over the moon excited. She loves a new adventure and she is thrilled with the idea of being around other kids all day. She is our social butterfly and I pray that school lives up to her expectations.

However, we knew that letting Camden go to Kindergarten would be extremely difficult. While Camden does talk now, most of his speech is largely unintelligible to others. How could I let him go to school and not know if he would be taken care of, let alone understood?

The answer to that question came in the form of K orientation. We went to the school and got to meet all the Kindergarten teachers and Camden got to interact with them. Two of the teachers are angels straight from heaven. I’m not kidding! Those 2 beautiful souls would be a great fit for Cam. Honestly, they made me want to go to Kindergarten! I just know that they will take great care of Camden and help him in anyway they can. Cam is still very unsure about the whole school thing but I pray that he really warms up to the idea and excels in that environment.

I think their expressions say exactly how they felt about the school orientation. Maylin is actually glowing with excitement and Cam is happy but can’t decide whether to give a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Just as I was trying to come to terms with the kids going to school in the fall, Maleah up and graduates on me. Why? I mean does she think she is almost 19 or something? How dare she!

She can’t possibly be old enough to graduate. Right?

Once you have those Senior pictures made in a Cap and Gown…..Well, it’s pretty much a done deal.

Planning Maleah’s graduation ceremony and reliving all the memories from her slideshow hit me doubly hard. I have so many memories with Maleah because I have been with her 24/7 almost. If Maylin and Camden go to school, will I have as many memories with them? No, I won’t. They will grow up with memories of school and friends that don’t involve me. And that’s been a hard pill to swallow lately.

Where did this sweet little baby go??? How did the time fly by so fast??? Letting Maylin and Camden go to school has been the hardest decision. I love, love, love, having my kids with me 24/7. I love experiencing life with them all day every day. And I love having memories of everything they do. School is definitely going to be a BIG adjustment for us.

Maleah’s graduation was beautiful but not with out some hitches! We had a few snags with the slide show and the cakes but in the end it was all just fine. The ceremony was simple and meaningful and we got to share it with our closest friends and family. While I did cry like a baby, it was also one of the happiest moments of my life!

Can you tell Maleah is nervous? She was terrified but she did a great job walking slowly down the aisle first. I apologize to any people in the background of these pictures. I normally don’t put pictures on here that have any one other than my kids and Jim, but this was a special occasion and I wanted to share every second of it!! So, I’m sorry to anyone that is in the picture that I didn’t ask permission first before posting!

I believe Audrey’s Dad took this picture just after we sat down. I love the smiles on the girls’ faces!

This might be one of my favorite pictures of the day. Jim and I were both so emotional but we held it together…..somewhat! Ha. You see, the plan was that if I started crying and couldn’t finish reading what to say, Jim would take over and finish for me. But just before we went up there, Jim leans over and tells me he forgot his reading glasses and couldn’t possibly read anything. I didn’t know whether to punch him or laugh!

I try to avoid being in the pictures but this picture is so special. Maleah deserves this diploma. She has worked so hard!! Did you notice the Star Wars decal on her diploma? Pretty cool, huh?

Watching your kid graduate is such a proud moment for any parent. For us, watching Maleah do yet another thing all the doctors and specialists said would never happen, was just amazing!