Kindergarten Here We Come

Alex's preschool graduation was today.

Yes, I know - preschool graduation.  What next?  Newborns will be switching their tassles over from one side to the other right after the nurse weighs and measures them.  Congratulations!  You've graduated from the womb!

But anyway.  They had gratuation this morning, complete with little red borrowed caps and gowns.  They get to keep the tassles.

Before the ceremony began, the kids got to run around and blow off some steam up on the stage.  Julia, who isn't aware that she's Alex's younger sister, was up there running around with them.  In fact, even after Alex's little group had been pulled off the stage to don their robes in another room, she was up there, chasing around with some of the other siblings.

And then it was just about time for things to get underway.  So we parents got our wild animals children back to ground level and dragged them back to sit with us. 

But things still hadn't started yet.  And Julia, ever-fidgety, needed - yes, needed - to race up and down the aisle between the rows of chairs.  Fine,  let her wear herself out a bit more; it will do everyone good.

And then, when things were one step closer to starting (you could tell by the merging and parting of all the preschool teachers over by the door) Julia decided to go back up on stage, solo, and run around and jump up and down and basically ignore her idiot mother standing at the edge of the stage hissing at her to GET OVER HERE NOW.

She'd come running toward me, giant grin on her little face, and then stop JUST out of my reach, drop on her knees and lean back a bit, then spin around and get up and race back across the stage.  I am a useless parent, obviously.  Bill finally couldn't stand the stress of it all and got up and caught her and carried her outside to have a chat.  When they came back in, she was pretty obedient.  Yes, my usefulness ended once each one was weaned.

Anyway, shortly after Julia was finally parked in a chair, "Pomp and Circumstance" (yes, I know...for pre-schoolers...hahahahaha) started blaring from a portable sound system, and in came the tiny graduates.  They marched up the stairs, across the stage, and were formed into a line by height - with the shortest kids at either end, and the tall ones in the middle.  Just like the Rockettes.  Alex looked very serious until he spotted us, and then he relaxed and waved a lot.

They began their show with the Pledge of Allegiance, and went right into "Yankee Doodle Dandy" afterward.  Alex and his best friend Chad, who were about 3 or 4 people away from each other (because Alex is tall and Chad is not) both kept their hands on their hearts through "Yankee Doodle" and into "This Land is Your Land" as well.  It was cute and patriotic.

Next - onto the summertime song - a rousing rendition of "Take Me out to the Ball Game."  Little hand gestures had been choreographed into the song, and my favorite was "For it's one, two, three strikes you're out" and watching all the kids staring at their hands as they carefully held up one..then twwwooo...then......THREEEEE! fingers. 

And then they chanted "Kindergarten Here we Come" which I don't remember at all, and followed that with "It's time to say Goodbye to our Friends" which I also don't remember - I think they were poems.  OH - no, I know why I don't remember those - it's because in between them, Julia decided she had to go potty.  So we dashed out of the room (in front of everyone, with Julia jumping loudly along behind me) and found the bathroom.  Took care of things, and by the time we got back, they'd started handing out (yes) diplomas.  Alex already had his, in fact.

I found out later that before that part began, during the SILENCE, Alex called out from the stage "DADDY, DID JULIA HAVE TO GO POTTY?"

After they were awarded their diplomas, they were free to go, and refreshments were served in the basement.  (This all took place at a church, by the way.  Not that it really matters, but I just like to keep people informed.)  Alex was happy to get rid of the cap and gown - it was pretty hot in there by the end of the ceremony.  We headed downstairs and the kids ate pizza squares and cake and watered-down apple juice and then chased each other around until Bill was ready to leave.

We headed off to the car, and then went to the pet store and bought a Cuban Night Anole to keep our Plain Old Regular Cuban Anole company.  Or to start a turf war - one or the other.  Stay tuned....