This morning I attended a meeting at Kayla's school to develop an education plan. She's been identified as "gifted". Its oddly very emotional for me. When Kayla was little everybody had an opinion about how I was raising her, and most of those opinions were not positive. Kayla was....precocious. She talked a lot, she asked a lot of questions, and she never just took what you said and believed it. She wanted to be a part of adult conversations and she never withheld her opinion. She was exhaustively, frustratingly, amazingly difficult. Her first grade teacher made her sit all alone because she talked too much and punished her by not letting her display her artwork in the classroom. I am so angry at myself for not sticking up for her back then. She was happy, and you could take away everything and she would still be happy entertaining herself with her fingers.

The part of this that is emotional is that seeing her max out these tests just makes all that stuff fall into place. It wasn't my parenting or lack of, it was just the amazing person she is.  She's just so damn smart, and funny, and happy, and beautiful. I am so proud of her it hurts. I'm actually allowing myself for the first time to believe that I am a pretty good mom. I make mistakes, God knows there are moments I would take back if I could, but these kids of mine know they are unconditionally loved.

So just in case I forget to tell you Kayla, Madison, and Eric...keep kicking ass. Your most frustrating characteristics are some of my favorite parts about you. Surround yourself with people who feel the same way. I have never spent one bored day as a mom, and I thank you with every fiber of my being for that.