I mentioned earlier that The E's attended daycare at Trinity Learning Center. They started when they were 3 and left when they were 5 to start "big school". TLC has a wonderful Christian based curriculum. They're not a babysitting service. They make sure your child is Kindergarten ready. Mrs. Betty & Brandy run an extremely tight ship so you can bet your child has the best care available! (Plus it has video cameras so you can watch your child during the day!! (Shameless plug: If you need childcare, contact them!!! CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST CHILDCARE EVER
The kids even learned sign language! By the way, I wasn't cheating. I had a list of words they knew and was trying to read that while recording them. Of course, Ethan had to let me know when I missed one on the list!
I have known, since birth, that Ethan was......particular? Is that the right word? He had a very low tolerance for loud noises. He liked things "just-so". I even spoke to our Pediatrician about the possibility of him having some sort of OCD. When they started TLC, I told the teachers about it. He had a certain chair he liked. It had HIS name on it. There was a certain block he liked to play with. Without knowing Ethan, I can understand you thinking that he was just a spoiled brat. I promise you, you would have to know him.
As "school" progressed, Ethan did too. His teachers would talk to me in the afternoons about how well he was doing. Not that Emily wasn't, she was doing great! Ethan was just....different. He was moved to a more advanced table to see how he would do. He did great! He was learning beyond what they were giving him in class. His teacher purchased a textbook for him to work on and he aced that too. I can't remember if it was a K or a 1st grade book. I went in one afternoon and his teacher said she had to show me something. Ethan picked up a book, opened it up and was reading! He was barely 4 years old at this point. Since Amanda is a teacher, she picked up on Ethan being a little different right away. She decided to do a little experiment with him. She gave him her version of the Kindergarten exit exam. This was prior to Kindergarten. He aced it.
When Ethan was 5, the owners of TLC asked him to come to their Christmas play and read a poem about the Significance of the Candy Cane.
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| First Day of Kindergarten |
NOW, back to Kindergarten. During open house, I spoke to the teacher about Ethan's past. I didn't want to come across as "that mom" that thinks their kid is smarter than everyone else's yada, yada, yada. I just wanted her to know so she could let ME know her take on it. It didn't take long.
A few weeks into the school year, I went to the school for a meeting with his teacher. They wanted to try to do some "subject-acceleration" at first to see how he did.
For Reading and Math, Ethan would walk down the hall to a 1st grade classroom. He was doing great there too! In February of his Kindergarten year, his teacher gave him 3 tests. Two were Early Skills Assessments broken into Math then Reading & Language, Grade K.
The next test was a 1st grade benchmark test, given 6 months into his Kindergarten year.
I wasn't "that mom"! My boy was smart! I don't know where in the world it came from but there it was, we just needed to figure out what to do with it!!! Josh and I had a meeting with the Librarian, Principal, Counselor, 2nd Grade Teacher, 1st Grade Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher and a gifted learning lady from Central Office. We opted for Ethan to take a test for Whole-Grade Acceleration. The RIAS test was given. There was a criteria list that he had to meet in order to move up a grade. He met it. Most of the test results were Greek to Josh and I. We were told his I.Q. was 118, but not to put a lot of focus on the number. We needed to look at what made up that number. His test results showed his math and reading skills to be that of a child between the ages of 8-9, or equivalent to 3rd-4th grade. He was in the 99.5 percentile for math and reading. We had a decision to make.
(Below, they are 5 years old here. SO funny...)
I didn't realize the heavy feeling that was associated with this decision. Mom's of multiples would understand where I'm going. When they're born, they're forever linked together. This would create a separation immediately. They wouldn't graduate together. They wouldn't go to prom together (not TOGETHER together, but at the same time). They wouldn't go off to college together. How would Emily feel about her brother leaving her? I took all of this into consideration and we made the decision. Ultimately, it wouldn't be responsible parenting if we held Ethan back from using his full potential.
Before the end of the year, the school had a talent show. Ethan and Emily performed with Tonantzin and Charlie. Tonantzin's mom, Yeya is absolutely wonderful with the kids!! They won 2nd or 3rd place...I don't remember!
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| Charlie Lee, Ethan, Emily, Tonantzin Galloway |
Emily started 1st grade and Ethan started 2nd. Emily did have some bad feelings in the beginning. I understood that. The last thing I wanted was for her not to feel good enough just because Ethan was advancing. It's hard to convince a child of a difference when they're supposed to be treated equal. She didn't have to share friends anymore though. It was Emily Edwards! Not Ethan & Emily all the time. That helped. :)
Ethan continued on through 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Straight A's every year. It came time for his 5th grade year of school. The final one before middle school. (Still, I can't believe he's going into 6th grade!!!) Ethan has always been somewhat reserved, especially being the youngest kid in the grade every year. He's told me every single year that he doesn't have any guy friends at school. He has almost always hung out with his best friend, Kayla. That's not a BAD thing, we absolutely adore Kayla! He just didn't connect with the guys. He doesn't do sports or Star Wars or Legos.....
He's always been worried people don't like him. He came home one day and told me the 5th grade class had to vote on one person to be the National Peanut Festival Jr. Fire Marshall and that person would get to ride the firetruck in the parade!!!! There weren't any nominations. It was just a vote count. Ethan won. You should have seen his smile.
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| At the fire station, about to ride in the parade! |
The Academic Bowl was coming up. This was a TOUGH competition with questions many of the parents looked completely blank on, including me! But.....Ethan nailed it!
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| 2014 Academic Bowl |
I was visiting the school one day for something and his teacher asked if Ethan had "told me the news". I hadn't heard anything new so I went to look for him. When I asked him what she was talking about, he said "I got Valedictorian, Mom!!!!!!". His friend Carrie Elaine received Salutatorian! It was always a close race between those two. She's definitely one to keep your eye on for great things!
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| Right after receiving Student of the Year, he's smiling at me. |
Ethan had his speech ready. He presented it close to the end of the ceremony. He did such an amazing job.
I wonder what God has in store for Ethan. I can only hope that he will continue to stay on the right path, stand on the foundation we've given him as parents and never forget what a gift he is to us, as well as so many others!
NONE of this in any way should portray the picture of us overlooking Emily and focusing on Ethan. Emily has already been through the ringer with more that anyone ever should. She is brave. She is tough. I would say that she's the only one like her, but considering there's another Emily Claire Edwards her same age and same grade at school, I have to hold back from that. She is, however, MY Emily Edwards and although just 10 years old, I look up to her bravery and strength. She is truly amazing. As is Ethan. Josh and I are beyond blessed to have been chosen to be their parents.
So, what's been going on with Emmy throughout all of this? If it weren't for bad luck......
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