Her first graduation

A moment I have been dreading/looking forward to for the past year has been Aubrey's preschool graduation. I kept in the back of mind all year, but really wished it would not happen. I mean, I am excited to know she has grown and shown she is ready for kindergarten, but I really don't want to admit my baby girl is moving to elementary school. I remember her first day of preschool and how nervous we were. She has grown up so much and learned so much since that and its amazing. But, in my mind, she's still that little girl and so admitting that she's not the same little girl I dropped off on that first day is so bittersweet.

To start the ceremony, each of the 3 classes performed songs before walking back to their classrooms to don their little caps and gowns. While they got the kids ready, the adults watched a slide show with pictures from the year and I completely cried like a baby. Seeing the activities they did through pictures and watching for pictures of Aubrey with her friends was so fun, but they had to use the most tear-jerking music, like "It Won't Be Like This For Long" so we all cried. Finally, each student came in the sanctuary and walked down the aisle to the good ol' Pomp and Circumstance before taking their seat. Aubrey was so cute in her cap and gown and I really did have visions of what she will look like in 13 years at high school graduation. After they marched in, the director called each student across the stage individually and they had to shake hands with the her and the pre-k teachers. It seemed so professional and grown up. I can tell they practiced with the kids a ton but the kids were still so nervous to be in front of all of the adults. After they walked across the stage, the director made a little speech and pronounced them the class of 2014 and more tears started. Luckily, I had the distraction of getting Aubrey at that point to keep the tears brief. We did a few pictures with her friends before taking off for a post-graduation celebration. A local stable offered their property and horses for a party for the kids and it was so much fun. They had pizza, pony rides,  a playground, paint the pony, and a water inflatable. Both kids had a blast playing and I was glad Aubrey got one more chance to play with all of her friends together. It was a great way to wrap up a fabulous school year and celebrate the kids and teachers' hard work.