Kindergarten Round-Up

Last night was Lillian's Kindergarten Round-Up.  I would be lying if I said this didn't creep up on me.  My friend Julie's son Keegan will start Kindergarten this Fall, too, and she said it best when she said..."I sincerely believe he was born yesterday".  That statement could not sum up my feelings about Lillian any more.  It honestly feels like I went to sleep with a newborn and woke up with a 5 year old.  That is how quickly these past 5 years have flown by. 

I get very sentimental about every milestone in my children's lives. I get as excited/devastated about Lillian losing her first tooth as I did when Alexa lost her's, for example.  Same goes for Kindergarten Round-Up - yes, we've been there done that with Alexa at the same school, same classrooms, same teachers...ect. But, this time it was Lilli's turn and we did not want to make her night any less special because we've been through these ropes before.  I was completely disheartened when I heard another mother ask one of the teachers if it was necessary that she stay for the entire program, because she had an older son and has already been through 'this' before.  The teacher was kind in her response, but was a little taken back (as was I) that she didn't want to give this experience to her other child.

We had a talk with Alexa beforehand about this being "Lillian's" special night, but knew that she would want a hand in showing her little sister the ropes of her {soon-to-be} new school.  Alexa was the perfect little tour guide, and even tho we know the school like the back's of our hand by now, it was fun to see it again through the anxious eyes of a {soon-to-be} kindergartner.   Lilli has been through the classrooms before, she's seen the library, the computer lab, gym..ect - but this time around she saw it as her own.  The excitement and wonder in her eyes was priceless.  

Alexa showed her everything....the section of the library that shelves the best story books, how to check out the books and how to use the soap/towel dispensers in the bathroom and turn the water on for the sink {you push a special button}.  She also gave Lilli her best guess as to where her locker would be, what classroom she'll be in and is almost certain that she'll have Mrs. White as a teacher.

We finished a tour around the school, Lillian was able to do a cute coloring project and then we met with the principal, kindergarten staff, school nurse and the office secretaries.  At the end, the children were able to watch a video that the Kindergartner's from last year made called, "A Day and the Life of a Kindergartner".  The video took them through an entire year of Kindergarten...all the fun skills they'll be learning, arriving to school on the bus and collecting homework and papers at the end of the day, all the fun field trips they'll take and special day's they'll have throughout the year.

 Lillian is super anxious to begin her life at her new school, with a new classroom, new friends and teachers, new hallways and routine....and I'm just comforted knowing that big sister will be there holding her hand...every step of the way.