Two weeks ago, Bridgette reached a very important milestone. She graduated from pre-school!! My little baby is now officially on her way to kindergarten….oh, how time flies!
Though her graduation date landed on the busiest week of the year for me with a huge wedding coming up and multiple clients in town, I was determined to take the entire day off to celebrate this very important milestone.
And celebrate we did!
Together with Alan, my dad, sister, in laws, and cousin Joey, we joined all the other proud parents and family members in the small conference room that was filled with DIY graduation decor by the teachers. I saw those little chairs lined up in front, and already, my eyes began to water.
The minute Pomp and Circumstances came on, and the little graduates walked in one by one in their caps and gowns, I couldn’t hold my tears in anymore. I kept snapping photos furiously, almost to remove myself from that sentimental moment so I wouldn’t end up bawling in front of a room full of people. There were a mix of emotions inside me the entire time….happiness, excitement, proudness….and a bit of sadness. It’s true what they say….kids grow up way too quickly, and I couldn’t help feeling sad that time was fleeting away at the blink of an eye.
The Director of Bridgette’s school, Genevra, gave a wonderful, sentimental speech, talking about the immeasurable value of a child’s first friendship, first teacher, and first art project. I found my eyes welling up with tears once again. It’s so true. How could we possibly measure the value of each and every little milestone that our child makes throughout his/her life? As parents, we witness and we help them create lifelong memories everyday, and we should never take any of that for granted. Though their achievements today may seem small and trivial to our adult standards, the value of each achievement is truly immeasurable, and will surely hold a special place in our hearts forever.
The children sang several songs, and us parents soaked it all in with smiles and laughter, as we witness this very important milestone in our children’s lives. As Genevra said, 13 years from now, we’ll be attending their high school graduation, and wondering where our little kindergartners went…
After the graduation ceremony, Bridgette was embraced by our whole family, with more hugs and kisses than she could take in. We were all so proud of her!! It wasn’t long before she grew weary of the cap and gown, and all the picture taking. She just wanted to be with her friends! 🙂
Parents were presented a very special book of our child’s artwork from the school year, and we loved pouring over each and every page of the mementos. What a special treasure this will become in our household for years to come!
After a wonderful post-graduation potluck in the classrooms, Alan and I gave Bridgette full autonomy on what she would like to do on that very special day. She pondered between Raging Waters, Great America, and high-tea at Crown and Crumpet. Finally, Raging Waters won, and our family of three made our way down south to hit the water slides!
And with that…we now have a little kindergartener in our home, excited for the new elementary school adventures to begin!
