first graduation

Last night Maia "graduated" from nursery school. All the kids did, whether it was their first or their last year. Which means, I suppose, that she will graduate again next year. Two years after that, she will graduate from kindergarten. Would you believe Krista's daughter Madi came home last month with professional photos of her decked out in cap, gown and diploma? Kindergarten!

So although I think it's all a little over the top, it's also very endearing. What parent doesn't want to watch their child be celebrated and enjoyed?

"Maia sprout" and all her Bean Sprout friends

Maia receiving a certificate and gift from her teachers, Miss Kim and Miss Sharon. These two are incredible. I have loved knowing that Maia was with them for two mornings a week this year while I spent those hours working on my music. And Maia adores them too. In fact, she generally seems more excited to see her teachers than the other kids.

The parents who organized the grad hired a clown, who turned out to be fabulous with preschoolers. Even though Maia is a firecracker at times, when it comes to new experiences she is generally pretty cautious. So here she sits on Miss Sharon's lap to evaluate the clown before deciding whether to take part in the action. (By the way, she passed. Maia hasn't stopped talking about her since.)

A family photo at the end of the night

(Thanks, Janelle!)

Eliana having an alert moment.

Could it have been that riveting clown?