Pre-K Promotion

On Monday, Jack and Anna celebrated the completion of pre-kindergarten.  They had a ceremony with the morning classes that was well-attended.  Thomas took the morning off from work and we were among the last ones there and thus relegated to the back row.  Of course, most people moved to the aisles for picture-taking, so that proved relatively inconsequential.

They marched the kids in and arranged them in 3 rows.  Jack was in the back row and Anna was in the middle.  There were small risers behind them, but for some reason, they weren't used.  Maybe a practice mishap?  Regardless, at times it was hard to see our kids as they performed their songs.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.  We started with the Pledge of Allegiance, which all the kids seemed proud to recite.  From there, it was Say Hello, the Wheels on the Bus, Five Little Monkeys, and my personal favorite--Slippery Fish.  Everyone sang loudly and it was cute.

Then, they called each child's name and had them walk over a little bridge.  I assume the bridge was symbolic, but when I asked the kids, Anna said it was so they could show they were ready for kindergarten by how well they listened and so their parents could take pictures. Take pictures they (we) did!  They called each child's name individually, one of the teachers found the kid in the crowd while everyone clapped.  Then, the child paused on top of the bridge while the parent came and took a picture.  Then, we all clapped again and moved on to the next child.  It seemed to take a really long time.  But, it was nice to get the opportunity for a picture.  And, I am sure it felt longer than it really was.

After the ceremony, with little sis

After that, they had cupcakes and then the kids showed us around their classroom and collected their supplies and final report card.  Both did well and their teacher indicated they are ready for kindergarten (I imagine you can't get held back in pre-k).  It was fun to see their "journals".  They both had some pretty good drawings in there.  My favorites are probably Jack's subway and Anna's chickens.

It's certainly not his neatest work and he can color much better, but I like the detail of above and below the street.

We said goodbye to their teachers, who did not appear at all sentimental over the experience.  I am sure they were just relieved.  From there, we let Jack and Anna choose where to go to lunch.  Fortunately, they agreed and we were off to Red Robin.  When we got there I took Anna to the bathroom.  She was washing her hands and looked and me and said, "Mom, I kind of feel a little bit grown-up today."  When we got home, Jack and Anna decided to teach Kara everything they know so that she would be ready for pre-k in the Fall.  Kara lasted about 30 minutes, which is much longer than I would have predicted.  In fact, the whole day was pretty rough for Kara.  She wasn't happy that Anna was wearing a new dress and that I wouldn't let her wear her fancy Christmas dress.  There was a lot she wasn't happy about.  We understood that she felt left out, but it was still a pretty trying morning.  Thankfully, she bounced out of it and was good during the ceremony.

Everyone keeps telling me how fast the time goes by.  I agree that the days are long, but the years are short.  I am amazed at how much they can do now and how independent they are becoming.  I love watching them grow and remain proud to be their mother.