Preschool Graduation & Kindergarten Registration

Dear Abby,

Oh my word, where in the world has the time gone.  We had a big, big week!  You had your field trip on Tuesday, and on Thursday, we had your Preschool Graduation.  Your last day forever in preschool. AHHHH, such mixed emotions.  But look how excited you are!!!

Mimi and Clara Lee came in town the night before to see you walk across that stage!  And, of course, Ellie walked, too!  

   And Kendall - ahhhhh, you love your Kendall.  We are going to miss her.  Sadly, no one from your class will be at your school, well, except Ellie!

 We love Jax, too!  That boy is so goofy and cute!

 Katie bug was proud of you, too, but was also hungry :)

 After a little bribery, we got Jaxson and Lance to pose with you.  I think they didn't mind!  We heart them and their mommas!

 And Miss Photogenic herself, Kaitlyn.  I sure hope her mom let's her wear her hair down one day :)

 Miss Pam and Miss Kim were such great teachers.  We will miss them next year!

 Kipper was ready to graduate, too!

 My little graduate!!!  PS - Miss Laurel took a hundred pics of us because I didn't think my camera was working too great.  I need to get those from her because this is the only I've got of me and you!  And no Daddy!  I promise he was there, and, also very proud!

 After graduation, several friends from your class joined us at Mellow Mushroom for delicious pizza! We were able to get a back room just to ourselves so we could be as loud as we wanted! Miss Tosh brought her famous most delicious ever cupcakes and we had a party!!!

 Miss Pam and Miss Kim even stopped in to say hello, and goodbye!  They sang "So Long, Farewell" from the sound of music and you kiddos thought it was hilarious!!  Mommy thought it was pretty awesome, too!
After pizza, we told Mimi and CL goodbye, they had to get back home, but the fun didn't stop for us!  Lance and his sister Kayla (your FAVORITE PERSON EVER!), Jaxson and his sister Addison, Kaitlyn, and Ella (and their mommas) all came over to our house for dinner (we cannot get enough of these folks, huh!) and then walked across the street to the People's Church to see the Wizard of Oz, put on by kiddos, of course!

 While it wasn't Mommy's favorite production, you kiddos enjoyed it.  At one point, Kayla was ready to leave (as were all the Mommy's!!) and you went in a corner and started crying because you didn't know which to choose, staying to finish watching the show, or going with Kayla.  It was a very hard decision for you, and in the end, Kayla saw that you wanted to stay, so she decided to stay, too!  She's a keeper!
After the show, you two wanted to get your picture with Glenda, the good witch.

 Addison was all about getting her pick with the Wicked Witch but you decided she wasn't for you :)

 And, of course, you had to get a picture with Dorothy!

We had a great time, and after several pleas to let you play just 5 more minutes, the gang left and we finally went to bed after a long, and emotional, day!  

It's official, though.  You are graduated and headed to Kindergarten!  We went one day and registered you and you were SOOOOO excited.  

We got to go on a tour of the school and you begged to go back the next day!  We got to meet the principal and even a couple teachers and we couldn't be more happy.  Did I mention they have a 'climbing room'??? Like, seriously, it's called the Climbing Room.  You see why you wanted to go back so bad?  And you LOVED the cafeteria.  Can't wait to eat lunch with your friends in there.  It's going to be a fun summer, and I don't want to rush it, but for you, Kindergarten cannot get here fast enough!
Love you big girl!

Elsa and Strawberry Fields Forever

Dear Abby,

The greatest day ever finally arrived.  Elsa was in Franklin and you, my friend, got to hang out with her.  Man alive, were you stoked.  And Ellie, and Kate, and Kipper, too.  And maybe even Mimi and Mommy.  On Saturday, we headed to the toy store where a bunch of other VERY anxious girls (and a few boys, too!) waited to meet the greatest Disney princess ever, scratch that, the greatest Disney QUEEN ever.  And boy, she did not disappoint.  She greeted everyone and even helped everyone build a snowman!  

 Then, while we waited in line to take a picture with her, we ate that snowman!

 Finally, the time had arrived and both of you were so excited you turned a little shy!

 After her meet and greet, Elsa surprised us with Let It Go!  She even let all the kiddos (and a couple of us adults) join in, too!  We had a blast meeting Elsa and can't wait to meet her sister soon!

A couple days later, we went on a field trip with your school to the local farm that I can't think of for the life of me right now!  Their little granddaughter is in Ellie's class and it's a special privilege that we even get to go!  Dang it, why can't I remember the name!! Anyway, it was a special treat and a fun time!  You go to plant your own lettuce and onion plants and even got to take them home!

And you drove a few tractors...

 And your friends did, too.

 You could not resist the urge to climb, even in a skirt...

 

 Or resist touching Kaitlyn's hair.  You find her hair fascinating and ask me all the time if I will ask her mom to let her wear it down.  Ms. Tosh said she'd be happy to show us both how to do it!

 You got on this, which I have to say, I have no idea what that is.  It's on the back of a tractor, but God only knows why you would want to ride on that BEHIND a tractor...

 You found it pretty relaxing...

 You had a ton of fun with all your classmates...

 And then it was strawberry pickin time!!!  Mr. I can't remember his name gave each of us a bucket to fill with strawberries.  You kiddos were making us all giggle because you'd put on in, then eat one, then put one in, then eat one!

Finally we had full buckets and full bellys!  And we got to take all of them home!  They were delicious later on, too!
We had a fun field trip.  It has been so fun getting to know all your friends and their mommas this school year and it's so hard to say goodbye to them.  Sniff sniff.  More on that though!
Love you strawberry queen!

Mother's Day Tea

Dear Abby,

I like being your mom.  You make me giggle.  Not just laugh, but that trying to hold it in genuine, no control burst of 'ha'.  You say the wittiest things that catch me off guard, then make me realize you are one smart cookie.  You make me see the world as I saw it 30 years ago.  Your world is so much more fun that mine at times, so I like that.  I like when you give me a heart attack showing how brave you are, then later that night, you warm my heart by proving how much you need me, just to please lay beside you for 2 five minutes.  I like how easy going you are.  Okay, I LOVE how easy going you are. I like that you are not (yet) a control freak and, with a little bit of easy persuasion, you WILL wear those white sandals or the smocked dress that I just cannot give up on yet.  I like how your teachers tell me how you like your writing center to be neat, every time.  I like neat things.  I like how it's Mommy that tries to get out of reading a chapter at night, not you.  I like that you know right from wrong, but something you just have to test it out for yourself, just to prove it.  And I like how you own up to it, if maybe, perhaps you were indeed wrong.  I like that you aren't necessarily a snuggle bunny.  Not all of us can be that.  It takes a non snuggle bunny to appreciate that, by the way.  I like how you make me smile when you walk down the stairs each morning, because not only do you have a smile on your face, but your bed is ALWAYS made.  I like how you love to "eat Indians" and now "Greeks" (mainly baklava), and you will always try a new food.  And, I like how you spit it out if you do not like it.  You have nothing to prove.  I like how you are a fierce competitor, but still understand that sometimes you lose and that's okay.  I like how you tell me secrets, even when those secrets end up with you writing an apology letter to a dear friend.  I like your inner beauty as much as your outer.  And your hair, I like your hair, except for when it's tangled.  Even then I like it because it's easy to pull back into a pony tail without having to brush it.  

I like you, so do a lot of people.  I like being your mom.  

Your school celebrated Mother's Day with a beautiful Mother's Day Tea.  We were given hand made corsages and place mats and had a variety of delicious food, including a cheese dip that Mommy has since made about 20 times.  

We played a couple games and we both tried REALLY hard to win.  We did eventually win a prize.  The term "consolation" may have been included in that prize.  Your class also performed multiple songs, which were perfect!  

You even filled out this data sheet, which, I have to say, is fairly accurate with just a few minor exceptions...

It was a lovely Mother's Day Tea and loved spending the day with you.
And in regards to the aforementioned liableness of you, here are some pictures to prove it!

LOVE YOU and LIKE YOU!