Goodbye Preschool…Hello Real World

landon1WMDear Landon,

Today is a big day. Today you are graduating from pre-K.

All you really knows is that we will come to your school and have a little ceremony. You love when we all come. You show off your “baby Beans”. You are so proud of Ollie just like he worships you. You love so hard.

You will probably ask for Chick Fila for dinner. That’ll be fine even though we are trying to get fast food less. It’s always a treat. You love the grilled nuggets because you’re wonderfully weird and will drink that lemonade way too fast. I’m going to savor that pure little kidness today. I want to be deliciously delirious of what is going on.

landon2WMIn the past year you have grown so much. I guess I could say that every year but this one seems huge. We worried about you being the “baby” of your class. You will barely be 5 when you start kindergarten in the fall. All your teachers said you would be just fine but we were still waiting. Every month/week/day you came home telling us things that made our jaw drop.

You really are a sponge.

landon3WMYou love to learn…freakin love it. As someone that works in education, I could mentally check off all these minor milestones with my own little hoorah. How you can retell a story. How you can critically think through a problem. How you retain knowledge from one page to the next. It’s so fun to watch. Your teachers have been nothing short of amazing and I can only imagine my sadness when you really have to leave them. Kindergarten can’t be this good. It’s physically impossible, I’m sure of it. I mean cmon, they dissected a squid and did diet coke with mentos rockets.

Last week we went to kindergarten orientation. You were wide eyed but not scared. We are one of the lucky ones who already know what class you will be in. You were accepted into the Spanish immersion. You will be immersed in Spanish for 90% of your day. We met your teacher and got to see a lot of your classmates. I had worried you would be the baby but as you towered above a few and quietly sat in my lap for the presentation, a wave of relief came over my head. You leaned over to me and said “I think the teacher speaks Spanish” when she talked with her thick Argentinian accent. Phew boy, hold on to your butt. It’s going to be an unknown journey for all of us but we think you will rock it. Giving you the gift of being bilingual is something we couldn’t pass up so you better help us learn too.

landon4WMSome days I want to bottle up everything about you. Like yesterday when we went to go get beach towels and there was an Anakin in the clearance section. You promised to do all your chores for the week if I got it. While we stood at the counter, you launched yourself around my torso and just squeezed. It was the best. Or even how you have decided your “homework” is to get all the pine needles out of this random tree in the yard. You really needed that rake yesterday. It was so ridiculous I couldn’t say no. You are so goofy, so your dad and so amazing.

So this afternoon you will put on that little cap (no matter how much you tell me you will just wear a hat from home) and graduate from your first “home away from home”. I promise not to cry if you don’t. Deal?

 

Love, Mom

 

6 thoughts on “Goodbye Preschool…Hello Real World

  • May 20, 2014 at 6:45 am
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    Love this. E has her moving up ceremony next month and I think the reality of her starting kindergarten is starting to set in as we prepare for her summer vacation. Or maybe because her screening reminder smacks me in the face every time I look at my calendar. It’s amazing how much she has grown in the past year. Good luck not shedding a tear with this milestone!

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  • May 20, 2014 at 9:02 am
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    Go Lando! I thought Sat how truly grown up he’s looking! Kindergarten here he comes!

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  • May 20, 2014 at 11:26 am
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    Ugh, I can’t even begin to think about kindergarten for Lila without getting all teary. I have two more years but I’m already dreading it. When did you start looking for schools? Overcrowding and too many choices has me stressed about looking already.

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  • May 20, 2014 at 11:34 am
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    So much dust in my damn eyes…

    This is so sweet and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Lando! As parents we really are going through each uncharted territory right along with the first born. It is pretty special for sure! Your pride is palpable as I read this and the pictures are truly lovely. Enjoy this exciting day with your amazing son and here’s to what’s to come!

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  • May 21, 2014 at 11:10 am
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    So beautiful!

    He is going to rock kindergarten. One year from today, you’ll be even more amazed by him than you ever thought possible. Trust me. I speak from the other side. 🙂

    Hang in there today, mama!!

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