Thanks to JCPenney for letting me share our story and encouraging individuality with fun kids fashion!
Right now, as I type this, my son is in the middle of his first day of school. There are a hundred thoughts running through my head and I am not quite sure what to do with myself. The house feels empty even though my daughter is beside me – she’s the sweet, quiet type. Judah on the other hand is so full of life and color that it spills out onto everyone he goes near. He has this way of being loud, crazy and highly active that people are drawn to and he pulls you into his world with his warm heart. Remember all those thoughts I just mentioned? The most dominant one is pride. I am proud of how far my amazing boy has come and how seemingly easily he got to this point. Last year he was in a Special Education class for kids with Autism, and he rose so high there that this year he is able to be in a full fledged, completely typical classroom with typical peers and no special instruction. Isn’t that amazing? My heart is absolutely full.
The weeks leading up to this day were full of preparations, shopping trips and honestly a little bit of stress. I bought him a new lunchbox, school supplies, after school activity kits, and the last thing I crossed off my list was a new school wardrobe. Apparently he grew like a weed over the course of last year so I pretty much needed to start over with his closet. I wanted to get as much bang for my buck as I could without sacrificing quality or brand names, so we went on a shopping spree at JCPenney and came home with a collection of adorably individual pieces that really fit his personality.
I let him pick out most of what we got and he did a great job! We spent just under $200 and got 7 shirts, a fleece hoodie and 4 pairs of pants. I love that everything he chose is just him like the “Wake up. Explore. Repeat.” shirt from Okie Dokie. Could it be any more perfect?! He isn’t into anything really sporty, but he loves bold colors and fun patterns like this cute Carters top.
He is absolutely pirate obsessed and he loves adventures. He does have his quirks, and some might think he is a little odd, but I love that about him. One of his favorite things to do on the playground last year was rock hunting. I know, that isn’t exactly normal, but he sees things in ways other people don’t. He used to come home every day with rocks in his pocket from recess, and I loved watching him tell me about all the different ones he picked out. We even made him a bin to put all his rocks in and it was overflowing by the end of the year.
I am looking forward to the rock stash this year, but it makes me a little nervous at the same time because last year he was protected. He was with kids just as exceptional as he was. There was no judgement. But I know that kids can be mean, and the excitement I have about him starting this new chapter is accompanied by a little bit of fear. I am afraid for him fitting in or that he won’t make friends because he doesn’t know a single person at his new school. I am sure each and every parent who sends their child to a new school for the first time has the same fears, so I know I am not alone in it. Realistically he will probably shine like a star and make tons of new friends, but this is a big step for me as his mom. I know he can do it because he is SO strong. He overcomes challenges every single day and surprises me every time. I love this amazing kid!
Do you have a fabulous kid? Share their awesomeness with the world over at JCPenney’s #ThatsMyKid page and help them celebrate individuality and creativity! When it fits, you feel it.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by JCPenney via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of JCPenney.
