Graduation

one is silver...

Yesterday we went to the graduation at the preschool. None of ours are graduating this year (thank goodness!) but it is always fun to see those big kids on the stage. This year they sang the old girl scout song "make new friends but keep the old." It was very appropriate since Unity ran into her dear friend Thalia from her preschool days and even though they haven't seen each other in a year, they ran around holding hands and dancing together. We made vows to try and hang out, different schools and schedules be forewarned!

Brixton of course, is still making his preschool friends. He has two buddies now that are the first friends he's made all on his own, without me already knowing the family. It's lovely to see how tender and aware they are of each other, while also ignoring each other, lost in their own world of play.

Silver and gold indeed.

Graduation!

Well and now it's her turn to cross the stage. Graduation was full of all the fidgets and fancy and forgotten lyrics that you would expect from a group of 5 year olds.

 

 

They cheered for each other and admired each other's flowers. They hugged and chased and stepped on each others toes, while promising to always be friends.

They cleaned out cubbies and checked the lost and found for missing socks and outgrown jackets.

 

Her teacher told me that this year has been one of her favorite classes. "They are so kind to each other, so compassionate." she said.

 

She's grown well here. Been listened to and respected. Been challenged and excited. She's come home with bean plants and paintings, and stories about worms.

 She's grown deep tumultuous friendships, with sincere attachment and sibling-like squabbles.

 

It's been a good place for all of us.

 

 

 

But mostly for her. Which is all I was hoping for when I labored over my piles of applications. I wanted to find a place that would appreciate her, help her grow into herself only more so.
And it has, it did.

Walking across the stage, coming home with a paper certificate and a shiny ribbon metal. Ending one chapter. Turning another page.

Graduation



Quinn (in flowers), Unity, and Sadie (in green)

Beatrix and U

Brixton had a popsicle.

Or maybe it was the other way round.

Graduation is always such a muddle of fear and excitement, no matter what the age. Perhaps it's especially strong the first time, one of the earliest experiences of leaving one familiar place and set of people and moving on to the unknown friends and teachers in the future. We were able to attend the graduation at Unity's preschool and watch some of her friends take that step. Some were shy, some hammed it up, but they all got their ribbon and certificate, and of course, their cupcake. I'm hoping that Unity will be able to remember this when it's her turn to cross the stage next year.