The Graduate

"Do you realize Alainna is the first in our family to graduate from preschool?"

So read the text from my younger brother, Dan, yesterday.

The graduation program took place in Blessed Sacrament Church and was short and sweet. The kids wanted into "Pomp and Circumstance." They started with the groups with younger kids, then eventually moved towards Alainna's group, the Sunshines. I was trying to keep an eye on Will and Jack so they didn't take a header off the pew (happened only once with Jack, but due to my quick response, no injury) or use the floor as a personal race track with the cars he smuggled into the church (guess who?). As the kids walked in, parents were waving and the kids were waving back and smiling, which is to be expected with preschoolers, right? I stood up and waved at Alainna, since she looked like she was scanning the crowd to find us. She made eye contact with me, saw that I was waving to her, and got a very stern look on her face and shook her head.

I almost burst out laughing. I'm sure her teacher told the kids not to wave at the parents since they were in line and very close to each other.

And she listened. She followed directions.

After singing a few songs as a group, the director called up the children based on their group. Alainna and her Sunshines were the second group, which I was VERY thankful for since the boys were getting quite restless in the pews! When your child's name was called, the parents were to go up and meet their child, then sit with him or her. Alainna beamed (as did our entire pew of Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and Aunt Ellen - the boys didn't understand the significance or else I'm sure they would have been beaming, too). Eric and I walked up to meet Alainna. She came right out to hug us, but first, we had to get this picture. You can see the pride in her eyes. She has been talking about graduation day for months now!

I couldn't help but think back to Alainna's first day at preschool and reflect on how much she has grown in the past nine months. Sure, I've always felt she was brilliant, (what parent doesn't think that about their child?) but she has matured far beyond what I ever expected. She takes such pride in showing us her reading abilities. Even if she doesn't get every word on the page, she is sounding them out and doing her best, although sometimes at night she says, "Mom, will YOU just read it to me?"

During the reception after the ceremony, Alainna was thrilled as she proclaimed, "Now I'm a kindergartener!"

I hope she's not disappointed when she finds out she has to wait three long months before that happens!