Preschool Grad

Lydia recently had her last day of preschool. And boy was she excited for it! That may sound weird, but to her, the end of preschool meant summer was coming, and after summer comes KINDERGARTEN. So needless to say, she was excited for graduation...though maybe not for the reasons as the other kids.

Lydia was one of eight students in her class and was known for being patient with the other kids, for helping the teacher read to the other kids, and for loving to get dressed up for school.

Lydia's teacher was impressed that she has mastered/surpassed everything to learn in preschool besides writing (Lydia's one main hardship - she just needs better coordination!). She counts to a hundred by ones, fives, and tens, can read, adds and subtracts, has mastered scissor skills, understands rhymes, opposites, and patterns. Basically, she's a whiz. And that's coming from her teacher...not just me :)

Lydia picked a horse as her animal in the presentation because it's my favorite - such a sweetheart!

Although Lydia was looking forward to the end of preschool, she sure loved going and making arts and crafts, playing, field trips, learning, and just growing up.

And boy are my kids growing up!

Here are the side-by-sides of both of my babes on the first day of preschool and the last:

Ammon is really the one that has shocked me with his growth. I know he's growing like a weed, but the side-by-side really shows how he's matured. It makes me want to lay down and sob. Look at that sweet baby-boy face in the first half, and then the child-face in the second! My baby boy, where did you go?

The other thing I love is the growth of Lydia's self-portrait from the first day of preschool and the last:

From a circle with legs and arms poking out, to a body with clothes, long hair, and even eyelashes and toes. Not to mention the improvement of the writing of her name! I knew she would thank me after forcing her to sit down and write her name over and over again - despite the tears and whining, it's helping!

My beautiful Lydia-girl did so well at school, just as I knew she would. And I'm not joking when I say she seriously gets stars in her eyes when you talk about starting kindergarten. It was the one time during her preschool graduation when she dropped her shyness and showed some life, when her teaching asked if she was excited for kindergarten. All the other moms laughed and turned and smiled at me because she just couldn't hold back a grin. I don't know what she's expecting, but she asks all the time if it's fall yet because she knows that's when it starts. I'm perfectly happy with her innocent exuberance for school and only wish she could be that way all her life!