Another of our late-May big events was Celeste's "graduation" from preschool. It is hard to believe that my sweet little brown-eyed gal is going to be going to "real" school this fall with Lorelai. Having her as the "big kid" at home has been great in so many ways. I feel I've really gotten to know Celeste this year, in a way I couldn't when Lorelai was the "big kid" at home. We have shared jokes, chores, and cuddles, and I feel like we've been able to emotionally bond like never before. Since we don't have much in common with regards to our taste, this bonding has meant a great deal to me. And now, just when we're becoming buddies, she's heading off to kindergarten! That's how it always goes, doesn't it? Your child gets older, you get really close to them, you become friends...and BAM! they're off to school.
Overall, we had a very positive experience with Smart Scholars Preschool and its teacher, Ms. Nichole. Celeste learned a lot this year; she has started to read (and has improved markedly in just the last few weeks, recognizing lots of short words in a variety of books), write, and do math problems. Celeste seems to have a special aptitude for math; she will sit in the back of the van when we're driving around doing addition and subtraction problems in her head, then shouting out the answers to me (she's almost always right, too). This has been a weird development in our family, since both Nathan and I don't like math much. We're not complaining though...quite the opposite, it's cool to see her so interested in that subject!
I am grateful that Ms. Nichole noticed Celeste's interest in math, and periodically encouraged her by having her do math worksheets separately from the rest of the kids in the class. I appreciated her personalized attention to each child in the preschool, as well as all the other cute projects and activities Celeste brought home throughout the year. I appreciated her general good nature and sweetness; she was always very patient when I arrived late to pick Celeste up (which was more often than I'd like to admit!). It's been a grateful experience, and I'm already looking forward to fall 2014, when I can sign Aurora up for Smart Scholars as well! (Wow. Just typing that makes me feel both old and melancholy.)
Here are some of the highlights of the graduation "ceremony"...
The first musical number they performed...the "days of the week" song
Waiting to graduate
Receiving her diploma. She was also asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer? "A hairdresser."
Tossing the caps!
Celeste with her "diploma", and getting a little tired of picture-taking
Celeste with Ms. Nichole
Celeste with Mama and Aurora. She DID have a nice time at graduation, I swear! The poor girl was quite burned out on pictures by this point. She was also sad about leaving Ms. Nichole...she grew very attached to her teacher and will miss her.
The class also performed two cute musical numbers, the first involving the days of the week and the second involving fish. Celeste really gets into that "whale" verse!
After the ceremony, we all devoured the sweet treats everyone brought. Here's what I made:
S'mores cupcakes. Yes, that is marshmallow icing with graham-cracker crumbs. Yes, that is a Hershey's chocolate square atop every cupcake. Yes, they were as tasty as the name implies. I got the recipe from a cookbook based on the Our Best Bites blog.
So now Celeste is ready to become a proper student this fall. She will spend every day at kindergarten, growing and learning and having fun...and I will miss her so much. This preschool graduation made me feel so proud of her and I know she will accomplish many great things someday. I love you, Celeste!
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