Preschool Graduation

Today was preschool graduation. It was a fairly short program which included the kids sitting for circle time, singing songs and getting up one by one to share their career aspirations. (You can tell Boy Howdy is SUPER excited to be sitting in between two girls.)

I started getting choked up until the kids started singing and Boy Howdy just stood there like a lump. I know he knows the words. When Cheeks sings the songs at home, Boy Howdy often jumps in to correct her wording and motions. But, that day, for whatever reason, he opted to stand mute (kind of like the above picture). Cheeks made a little more effort.

When it was time for the kids to share their aspirations for the future, most kids (there are a lot of girls) said princess, butterfly, fireman. There were a lot of princesses. So when Boy Howdy got up and said "scientist," Matthew BEAMED with pride. Cheeks was the last to get up. Just two days before she randomly told someone at church she was going to be a doctor. I was so smug thinking my children would be the cool kids in class, so imagine my sorrow when she also claimed princess. I may have died a little.

I'm glad they had the opportunity to share a preschool class this year. It will likely be the last time they do. And I'm glad they had such lovely teachers. They always seemed genuinely entertained by the kids and I never worried that they weren't being well cared for by these two women.

Edit to add: I have been talking a lot to Boy Howdy about having to go to Kindergarten. This boy does much better when he has a clear understanding of what's coming next and has had adequate time to prepare his expectations. But with all the talk, I guess I failed to stress that between his last day of preschool and his first day of kindergarten is a three-month break called Summer. Tonight (Sunday) during family prayers, he prayed that he would enjoy Kindergarten in the morning, that he wouldn't be so scared and that there would be other kids his age, 5. He hasn't expressed his concerns to Matthew or me, but it has obviously been weighing on his mind. I love this boy. As intense as he can be at times, he still has such a tender little heart. By the way, he was beyond excited when we let him in on the beauty of summer vacation. Hooray!