And Just Like That...

...We have a Kindergartner

Yesterday was Marie's last day of preschool. Words escape me when trying to explain how a whole school year just happened. But it did--right when I'd almost mastered the get-us-to-the-school-on-time routine.

We attended a special graduation ceremony for Marie's class, "The Penguins," complete with sweet songs, a slideshow, and a fun reception afterwards. Now, I still associate the word "graduation" with some sort of actual degree. So the end-of-the-year party/performance turned "Preschool Graduation" seems a bit much. But considering the recent developments, when Marie has any kind of performance it's a big deal, and we were excited to shower her with the most love and support possible. Her Daddy and Gran showed up to join the cheering section, and after school we took her out for the real celebration, which her Daddy had promised her: ice cream and the indoor playland at McD's. (I relented...this one time).

During the performance, we enjoyed hearing that Marie's favorite thing to do at preschool was "play on the computer," and that when she grows up she wants to be an artist [as opposed to a princess like at least five other girls in her class (that's my girl)]!

  Taking her Pengin off the wall...

She spent a few minutes before we left doing her favorite thing:

 Before walking out the door for the last time:

 (She gave me her best sad fast as she lamented that she NEVER wanted to leave school).

She also got a fun graduation bear from Gran:

Tomorrow's final celebration is much more Marie's speed--a picnic at the park with her class so we can all say goodbye for good. And infiltrate the local playground, of course.

Now for the summer fun! Which I'm sure will fly by even faster; only three more months before I'm carting around a kindergartner AND a preschooler. Time to put a rock on their heads, as the Hjelmstad clan likes to say, and stop this whole nonsense of growing up!