Mark has made it through kindergarten!  He is so excited that this September he can go to the "big kids yard".  He assures Marissa that he will talk to her through the fence so that she is not lonely in Jr.K.  I have heard from nearly everyone that Mark is well loved at school.  He is popular not only in his class but cherished by staff and students of all grades!  Every time I pick him up or go to an event, everyone hollers "Hi (or bye) Mark".  I have been approached by total strangers, both adult and children at soccer games and told "what a wonderful kid Mark is".  I know that for Mark school has been an exercise in frustration at times, but one thing is sure...he has passed with honours in the social skills department.  He has also moved ahead with his studies and can name every letter on the flash cards and can count all of his numbers up to a hundred with some prompting.  For the summer we will concentrate on his sight words and more reading.  We will also get to watch the new addition being built on the school while traveling to daycare this summer!  By the time Mark and Marissa go back in September the "old school" will have a very large addition built with a new office space, library, gymnasium and classrooms.  The new roof will ensure that there will be no garbage cans placed on desks to keep the drips from falling on anyone anymore.  It was a very sad statement of how far things had been let go with budget cuts in the past.  At least now they are starting to reinvest in that which is most important to all of us...the education of our children for the future workforce!  School work has not come easily to Mark but he has tried hard and is moving forward at a rapid pace.  His memory is astounding and much of what he does is from pure memory.  He has a mind like a sponge and will in time put it all together.  Here is our "graduate".  Mark insisted on wearing his suit (the only one in the class).  I took Marissa out of daycare so that we could celebrate the occasion as a family.  We are so darn proud of you Mark...you are awesome!

Clearly these two are peas in a pod.  I am so proud of them both.  I cannot even imagine how quickly the years will fly by and I will have to post their graduations into high school!