Another year has passed and we are saying goodbye to another grade and teacher. Emily has loved 1st grade and her teacher Ms. Johnson. This year has been full of learning addition and subtraction, learning new words, learning about writing, learning to love reading, and lots of fun time with friends in the classroom. It is fun to watch Emily use all the reading skills she has learned. She reads signs, books, and just about everything else. Now it is time for some fun days with sunshine and sister.

Julia has finished her preschool program. It was two days a week for several hours. Most days were filled with playtime and she enjoyed going with her friend Maeve. After several years of going to the same place, next fall will be really different, but Julia is excited about up-and-coming kindergarten.

Flashback look! My how that little one has grown.

Some how over the summer someone grew up. Maybe it has been sneaking up on us for a while, but to stop and look at Emily really reflects a marked growth both physically and developmentally. What a joy she is for us! We love our First Grader!!

It is our first day of 1st Grade today! Emily was up early and waiting for the house to join her. She must have been excited. Her backpack and clothes have been ready since last week. She picked something blue to wear of course!

Sporting her backpack that doesn’t seem to swallow her as much as it did last year.

Mama and Julia walked Emily to her class. Emily went last Friday to meet her teacher and find out where the class is. Mama asked Julia if she was ok leaving Emily today and she thought it was fine. When asked if she would miss her while playing she answered that "Mama will just play with me instead".

Emily was happy to get right to work on her desk assignment. She was ready and eager to follow the instructions given to her.

Emily with her 1st Grade Teacher. I think they will get along great this year. Both of them seem to have a bit of bounce to their personalities. Emily asked to bring a croissant to the teacher for her first day. Seemed like a great way to start off the year!

The school year is over and the little girl we sent to school so many months ago is now an accomplished kindergartener. We have enjoyed talking to her about the first days of school and all the things she learned this year. We are thankful for the experiences she has had this year. She was blessed with a teacher that Emily loved and who seemed able to find ways to get Emily to perform for her. Emily made friends in her class and enjoyed the class mix with only few exceptions.

We look forward to the adventures this summer will bring us and trying to keep her mind active. A new school year does not seem as overwhelming as sending her to kindergarten was. Perhaps we all have grown this past year.

Maybe our hair is a bit longer . . . but the head cocking, lip chewing, and outgoingly shy girl is still there.

One of Mama’s favorite sights from the school year. The slow walking Emily turning and giving Mama a kiss as she goes into school. Some days it was a wave, a kiss, the sign I Love You, or just a thoughtful look.

Julia loved to accompany Emily to the school building whenever she could. It was the way she could relate to Emily’s school experience. On the last day she insisted that Emily take her doll in for sharing time.

School is OUT – She is an official 1st Grader

To celebrate in style we shared some ice cream at a local soda shop. The girls loved sitting at the counter. The lady making Emily’s milkshake was certain that the girls would share the milkshake. We didn’t share and Emily drank the whole thing!

Our Kindergartener celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday today. The instruction was to wear wacky clothes and hair. Emily chose her clothes, but they turned out more well accessorized than wacky. For her wacky hair we tried out several hairstyles last night and ended up with this variation. It was involved, but she vetoed the crazy Mama ideas. She seemed to enjoy Dr. Seuss’s birthday celebration although not many kids participated in the crazy clothes and no one else had a Seuss themed lunch. 

We sent a little girl to school and home came a cat. It was awesome to go through the pickup line and pick up the face painted cat.

Our fun hairstyle. Please, no one mention to her that it is a cheerleader hairstyle. Her hair wasn’t quite long enough to get the pony tail on the tip-top of her head.

The themed lunch – a green egg (the color didn’t show up well in the photo), ham, colorful sprinkles in the apple sauce for a party theme, chocolate goldfish, hat themed fruit on a stick, and a pickle sign post for the places she’ll go.

Why make one lunch when you can make two at the same time. Julia enjoyed her Seuss themed lunch too.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!