Preschool Graduation

Right. So there's nothing like one of your children reaching a significant milestone in her life to make her parental figures stop and freak out about how old her baby is, and how time is passing too quickly, and how pretty soon she'll be going to kindergarten, to her high school prom, leaving for college, getting married, having babies to whom I will be the GRANDMOTHER!!! . . . .

Ok, so I'm fairly certain that I was the only one of her two parental figures to "freak out" at this level, but still, watching my baby girl graduate from preschool was a big deal. She was so excited about this day. Though, I'm not sure if it was the graduation aspect or the family picnic afterward that was the real draw for her.

Here we are graduation morning . . . before the mommy freak out. See how sweet she looks (and how nice and non-freaked out I look - all a total facade on my part).

Apparently Claire's teachers clued in fairly early on that she is a reliable (read: rule-following), mature kid. She was one of two kids picked to hand out the programs to parents as they entered the sanctuary. Check out the model pose.

The processional. The graduates filed in to the traditional tune "Pomp and Circumstance." In the background, you can see the parents, paparazzi-like, trying to catch pictures of their kids as they came in.

Waiting for the singing program to begin.

Most of the pictures we took during the program came out too blurry to post, but here are a few short videos of the kids singing.

This video is for you, Papa Bill. A preschool rendition of "The Great Adventure" better known as "Saddle up your Horses."

Getting her diploma from her two teachers. After we left school, I realized I hadn't seen Claire's diploma yet. I asked her where it was, and she told me that after they walked off the stage, each kid was supposed to put it in the collection basket in front of their pew! Fakers!!!

Ms. Robin, the teacher on the right, read a speech she had written about how she had not only had the privilege to teach the class, but that she also learned from each and every member of the class. Each child was named along with the "lesson" she had learned from him/her. The lesson that she learned from Claire was: "God is in the details. And EVERY, SINGLE detail is important."

Yep, that pretty much describes my child. I really have no idea where she gets this. (ahem)

Here are a few pictures of Claire and some of her classmates

If you remember earlier posts, this handsome little guy is Liam, the phone caller, play date-asker who had a bit of a crush on Claire (and she may have been a little guilty of reciprocating the crush. Can you tell?)

Ok, so Ben wasn't in her class, but if he had had his way, he would have been.

Ms. Shana, Claire, and Ms. Robin - wonderful teachers who helped to make Claire feel so comfortable.

Kindergarten, here we come!