Welcome to the 2nd installment of the Class of 2028 a blog circle of parent/photograhers whose children are starting Kindergarten this year.

She left today in a blur of excitement and energy, running out to meet the bus hand in hand with one of her best friends. Screams of laughter filled our neighbors driveway. It's hard to feel sad with so much excitement in the air, and the giggles of a day that has been anticipated. I was doing great riding on that excitement but then the thoughts that I have been pushing away all summer started creeping up. 'Did I do enough?' 'Did I appreciate all of this enough?' 'Did we have fun?' 'Did I give her the early childhood she deserved?' I know deep down the answer is yes, just as I know there are things I probably could have done to make it even better. And while that first bus ride seems so final, at 3:30 she will return with a smile on her face and all sorts of new tales to tell me. I know there are more adventures to be had, and I'm not losing her to school, I'm just sharing her.

Along with Kindergarten today she turned six yesterday. Why does that number sound so big?! I put together a little collage for her from the last year. It's funny but looking at that this morning is what put the smile on my face. All those pictures, All those memories, reminding me that yes, we had fun, yes, we appreciated life together, and yes, there is so, so, so much more to come. Kindergarten is just another adventure on our long list. 

Don't forget to see what the rest of her classmates are up to this week.  Next up is Tiffany Erb and you can check out her post here.

Wow... class of 2028...that sounds crazy to think that's when the kids entering kindergarten will be graduating. I'm teaming up with a bunch of photographers in all different locations to document what Kindergarten looks like. Well, I'm in complete denial that school starts next week. I'm not ready to send my kids back to school, and especially not ready to send my middle child off to kindergarten. I'm not beyond crazy, school supplies have been purchased and are ready to be dropped off at school, but beyond that I haven't done a thing. I'm not sure what fits in their closets, or if any shoes beyond flip flops fit. I haven't looked at any paper work from the school yet. 

Well I guess that was a introduction to my parenting style, not to worry though everything will be done, and I won't accidentally miss the first day of school. :) So what have we been doing to get ready for school? Being out side, exploring, swimming, and finding adventures. My middle child and my only daughter would be happiest if she could be outside all day. She doesn't mind playing in the dirt and loves to keep up with her older brother. I'm a little worried about her being in a classroom all day, but I know that she will do amazing. Here is what our school prep has looked like the last two weeks and a visual introduction to her.  Make sure to follow the circle around to see what the class of 2028 looks like elsewhere first up is Paige Wilks and you can find her post here 

10 years ago I became a mom to a beautiful boy. Life was hazy, sleepless and amazing. Our son had some challenges, but we, us and our doctor, were just chalking it up to the fact that all babies are different. After a visit to a different pediatrician in the same practice due to a scheduling conflict our lives were forever changed. Instead of leaving the doctor with a list of what milestones were up next we were leaving with a diagnosis and a scheduled surgery. Colin had hydrocephalus and required surgery to place a shunt that ran from his brain to his abdomen. Brain surgery sounds scary. Suddenly everything was different, crazy and emotional. I picked up my point and shoot as a form of therapy, somehow being behind a camera made everything easier to process. His first surgery went great, textbook, we were home with in 4 days and working through our new normal. After about a week of being home Colin started to cry one afternoon, and something in my gut took over and I knew that this wasn't right. After a call to the neurosurgeon we were on our way to the hospital with a surgery room ready. Colin's body rejected the shunt, they got it out, but the next couple days were touch and go. He was having seizures from the brain infection and wasn't breathing on his own.  We moved in to Children's Hospital for almost a month until a new shunt was able to be placed and he could go home. I documented our whole stay, the first short one and the second long one. I got asked why I was doing that, and asked if I wouldn't rather just forget. I didn't, I didn't want to forget anything. I also wanted to show him when he got older that he could overcome anything. Look at what he went through at 3 months. 

After another surgery at 7 months old, I finally took him in for professional pictures. They were cute, and the place did a great job. They put him in a little bathtub, lots of other props and he is smiling,  All our family ooohed and ahhhed. The whole process left me a little underwhelmed. They didn't feel real to me. They didn't seem to represent him and who he was. He was so, so, so much more than a smile in a bathtub.  While I already liked taking pictures at that point (really, what mom doesn't) my love grew after that. I wanted so much more from a picture, I wanted all of his personality. 

Along came 2 more kids, multiple camera upgrades, new lenses, a facebook page, clients, a website. I won't deny that a lot has changed, but I still believe that children, all of us really, are so much more than a smile. 

This year we celebrate him turning 10, 10 years since his first surgery and 5 years since his last surgery.

This is him then... (I didn't take the 2 pictures that I am in, my husband took those)

Here is now...  ​