Our 2013 Graduate - and soon to be Kindergartener!

Here she comes!

What a great day it was yesterday!  My beautiful girl graduated from Preschool yesterday, and I guess it's a good sign that this morning she asked me if she was going to Kindergarten today!  Sorry kiddo, you have a couple months...

She and her school friends sang songs, one from each month of the last 8 months.  They did such a great job!  Then they sang the song that really got to me... and the rose she brought me did me in.  This is her singing "I love you Mommy".

After the singing, Jocelyn got her diploma!

Once the ceremony was over, we all sat and watched a 25 minute video compiled from pictures taken in the classroom throughout the year.  We will be getting copies of the video soon.  I'm so glad I'll get to bawl my eyes out in the privacy of my own home next time around!  If you look really closely, Jocelyn is in the bubble on the screen.

After the event was over, all the kids got their pictures taken with Ms. Kathy and Ms. Judy.   We will miss them so much!

There will be many "firsts" and "lasts" in Jocelyn's life, but this last day of school was one of the toughest for me so far.  I tried not to cry, but I didn't make it...  Jocelyn's teachers have been so good to her, and to me.  They have always encouraged me to be involved in Jocelyn's education and I have gotten to share so much with her because they have been so open to me being there.
This morning I met with Ms. Judy for a parent - teacher conference.  We talked about how to maintain what Jocelyn has learned through the summer so she is ready for Kindergarten.
Oh Kindergarten...   don't even mention it or the water-works will start again!!

Proud Mommy and Daddy

Mommy Moments

Since the last time I posted, my birthday and Mother's Day have gone by.  I have worked my last co-op day at Jocelyn's preschool, and tomorrow she will "graduate".

I am dealing with so many emotions.  The first of which is PRIDE.  I am such a proud Mommy of my baby girl.  In the last 8 months she has learned so much!  I have seen her go from a preschooler, to a kiddo ready to take on the world in Kindergarten.  I am so proud of her.

Unlike other Moms, I chose to wait until Jocelyn was 4 to send her to preschool.  I am a stay at home Mom to one child.  I just couldn't justify it in my mind.  Was it a good choice for her or a bad one?  I think she will do just fine.  But having only that one year meant so many firsts this year!!  First day of school, first field trip, first bus trip, learning to ride a bike (and now a big bike with training wheels), learning letters, numbers and writing her name.  First Halloween Parade, first school birthday celebration, first field day, and first Mother's Day party.

Now that the year of firsts is over, I am feeling such sadness.  Real SADNESS for what we are leaving behind in preschool.  I have loved her teachers so much.  You can always tell the teachers who love what they do and love the kids.  Jocelyn's teachers love her, and genuinely care for her and the rest of the kids.  But they have also been so good to me.  They encouraged me to be involved whenever I wanted to be.  All those firsts I listed above?  I was a part of every one of them.  I didn't miss out on anything.  What a great gift they gave me allowing me to share this time with Jocelyn.

I will miss Jocelyn's teachers.  I will miss her school, and as I've said before, next year when I send my baby off to Kindergarten, I will miss HER with every inch of my being.  I can only hope her teachers in the years to come, are even 1/2 as wonderful as these two have been.

So think of me tomorrow.  I expect it to be a sob-fest.  Yes I am so, so proud of my girl.  But I'm so sad to see this time in her life come to an end.

Here are some wonderful photos from the last couple weeks.

Before the Mother's Day Celebration

Making picture frames together

I love this goofy kid!

Oh, and one other emotion...  a tiny bit of dread.  I have a long summer ahead trying to keep my little one in some kind of routine.  I also don't want her to lose what's she's learned in school, so we have a couple camps coming, including a Kindergarten prep camp.  But there are 13 weeks between now and the start of Kindergarten.  Let's hope we don't both go crazy together!  Playdate anyone???

Down on the Farm!

Jocelyn, Auntie and I had a really fun experience this weekend.  We spent Friday night at a farm.  On Friday afternoon and again, EARLY Saturday morning, we got to work on a Dairy Farm milking cows, bottle feeding the calves, collecting eggs and chasing chickens, feeding the bunnies and visiting the baby bunnies, and sheep and miniature horses.  

Just to add to the fun, we also took a horse and buggy ride, a wagon ride, AND a train ride.  

We jammed a lot of fun into a short 24 hours!  Of course in real Jocelyn style, she already wants to know when we're going back!

This may be my favorite picture!
There was pure glee on her face when she caught her chicken!

Ponies her size!