Our Little Lady the Ladybug

Mia attended summer school at her preschool in July, but we opted for her to continue in the Early Preschool (Caterpillar) class for the summer.  However, the time has come for her to move on up to the "big girl" (Ladybug) class.  It is a larger class in a larger room for 3 and 4 year olds, but still meets just three mornings per week.  She is excited about this new endeavor, but a bit tentative about leaving her beloved Miss Sharada behind in the Early Preschool.  Needless to say, Mia will have another amazing team of teachers this year in her new classroom, and will be placed in Miss Veronica's small group, which Michael and I feel is a great match for Mia.

Here she is on her first day!  

Happy first day, little Ladybug!

School's out for Summer

Mia enjoys her end of the year picnic at Mandala....

...and then spends her lazy summer days while her brother finishes out his school year hangin' in his bedroom and eating popsicles in the backyard.

A day in the (very rough) life of Mia!

Special Teachers

Luke and Mia have been so blessed with wonderful teachers in their early years.  Miss Sharada was particularly special to Luke during his last year at Mandala, and now also holds a special place in Mia's heart.

On Teacher Appreciation Day, we went over to surprise Miss Sharada with a little extra love in the form of homemade cards and some flowers ... and some big hugs!

Mandala Christmas show

This year it was Mia's turn to participate in Mandala's Holiday performance.  If you remember, Luke spent three years at Mandala and never once did any more than stand up on the stage and look around like everyone was just crazy.  We assumed, given Mia's personality, that she would be different ... but one can never be sure (I thought that by Luke's 3rd preschool show he would at least move his mouth!).

So, we had big expectations for Mia, and she delivered to some extent.  There certainly was not the showmanship that we see at home, but at least she stood up there and sang :)!  She looked darling, Mommy cried (of course), and Luke was a very proud big brother.

School Halloween Celebrations

The Halloween festivities began the Saturday before Halloween this year at Mia's school's Fall Harvest Party.  Mia was a fairy (Tinkerbell, if you ask her) ... although I think that she was sort of wishing at this point that she also had a robot costume like Luke (note to self:  next year Mia gets the elaborate costume).

Luke was excited to go back to Mandala and see all of his old teachers, especially Miss Sharada, who was so sweet and walked with both kids in the costume parade.

The robot costume came with a bit more publicity than Luke (or any of us) bargained for.  For shy-guy-Luke, it made him a little uncomfortable.  He basically walked around saying "thanks" on repeat while everyone commented on how cool his costume was.  He even was asked to take photographs with a family who we didn't know ... (weird? ... ummm, yes!).

Halloween morning brought the costume parade at Luke's school.  As the day wore on, Luke became more comfortable with the added attention that the costume brought to him. Luke's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, told him that it was the most creative costume that she had seen in all of her years of teaching (making Michael very proud).  By the time we were getting ready to go trick-or-treating, Luke asked me if I thought we could go somewhere to enter him in a costume contest because he was pretty sure that he would win. :) 

Mia's first day of preschool

Mia started at Mandala Children's House today.  She has been going two days a week over the summer for their summer school program, but today was her first "official" school day in her class for the year.

Since Luke was in their Early Preschool, they have split that class into two:  one for children who are just 2 years old (Cocoons) for two days a week, and one for children who are 2 years + 9 months as of September 1st (Caterpillars).  Mia is just on the cusp, but after attending their summer school program it was apparent that she is completely ready to be a Caterpillar (which means that she attends 3 mornings a week). 

The teachers in her classroom are Miss Denise (Luke's EPS teacher), Miss Tabatha (who Luke had when he was 3), and Miss Sharada (Luke's teacher from last year).  Mia is very lucky - what a wonderful team of teachers.

 

Summer School

Both Luke and Mia are attending the 6-week summer school session at Mandala this summer. It will mark a very important milestone:  the first time in nearly 5 years that I have been child-free for a few hours without getting a babysitter!  Yes, this is very exciting :)

It also marks another important first:  Mia's first taste of preschool!

For Luke, it is a bit anti-climactic.  I mean, we did just make this huge deal about "graduating" from preschool, and now we are sending him right back.  Ha!  Despite that, he's happy to be going back for a few weeks.  He loves Mandala school.

I wanted to take a few pictures of Mia on her first day, but Luke really wasn't understanding this and wanted to be in the pictures also.  On top of that, despite that fact that this is summer school and we live in California, both kids were complaining about how "freezing" they were.

Oh, well, I tried....

I was pretty concerned about how Mia would react to being left at school.  I had tried leaving her in the classroom a month or so ago while I attended a meeting at the preschool, and it had ended in disaster.  She screamed and cried so much that eventually they brought her back to me.  Thankfully, we had a week of Vacation Bible Camp's daycare under our belts this time around (Mia attended all 5 days while Luke went to camp and I led a group).  It seems that her time in the VBC daycare really paid off because she took to preschool at Mandala today without any trouble.  She first acted as though she might cry, but then when I took her to show her the bathroom and she saw that they had small toilets close to the ground, low sinks, and paper towels within her reach and that she could "do it all herself," she was sold!  It also helped that Miss Sharada was there to encourage her.  After she tried out the bathroom, she happily said goodbye to me and had a great day.    Woo hoo! 

Now, what to do with my 3 hours of time twice a week?  Hmm, maybe I'll go grocery shopping and to the dentist alone.  How exciting!

Preschool Graduate

It's so cliche to say, but it truly doesn't seem like that long ago he was heading off to preschool ... and now we are watching him graduate and move onto the next step:  Kindergarten!

Luke heading off to his very last day of preschool (well, except that he is going this summer ... sort of makes it anti-climactic)

 Graduation for his class was held in the afternoon, so Mia skipped her nap (not ideal, but necessary), and joined Michael, myself, and my parents for the big event.

With Day's babydoll, Kristy.  Waiting for the ceremony to begin

SO unimpressed so far!

 Leading up to the graduation, Luke has been serenading us in the car for weeks.  He doesn't just sing one song, but the entire repetoire.  So, I asked him if he was planning to sing for this last, final time on the Mandala stage.  He told me that he was "thinking about it."  Then, just the night before he announces to my mom and I that it is "totally weird to stand in front of everyone, while they are looking at me and sing."  I guess he has a point...

All that to say that, yet again, he didn't sing.  In fact, he didn't even LOOK at us!

The good news in all of this is that I was spared from bawling my eyes out.  The final song, "Goodbye, So Long, Farewell" killed me everytime I heard him sing it, so I was dreading the actual performance.  However, we were so busy giggling about Luke that I didn't even cry!

Everyone else looks to be having a pretty good time

Miss Sharada tried to persuade him about halfway through, but to no avail

 After the performance, they placed graduation caps on those kids who are moving on to Kindergarten, and they walked across the bridge.

And received their certificate (diploma?) from their small group teacher.

Mia watching her big brother

 After all of the hoopla was over, it was quite evident how excited and proud Luke was of himself - he just is SO not into being the center of attention or having all eyes on him!

Yep, back to normal, making silly smiles for the camera!

High-fives to Day

Excited about his balloon

With his BFF, Christopher.  These two little guys are SUCH great friends.  I loved watching them when I came in to volunteer in Luke's room.  They really just enjoy one another's company - doing all of their "jobs" together, chatting away about anything and everything.  They will certainly miss one another next year.

The Graduate

Luke and Vidyut

Giving gifts to all of his small group teachers from throughout his years at Mandala.  Here is Luke with Miss Tabatha, who was his small group teacher for the 2nd half of last year.

Miss Nasreen, whose group Luke was in for the 1st half of last year



 Just when I thought I had escaped the tears for the day, Luke presented his small group teacher from this year, Miss Sharada, with her gift.  We have seen an enormous amount of growth and maturity in Luke throughout the course of this year.  He has really grown into a Kindergartener, and much of this is thanks to the support, encouragement, and teachings of Miss Sharada.  She was SUCH an incredible gift to Luke this year, and we are so incredibly grateful to her.  So, when she started to cry as she was congratulating Luke, I realized how mutual the feelings were.  She has loved and taken care of our little boy this year.  I know that they will miss each other so much.

Presenting Miss Sharada with a gift



I love this picture because you can just tell how much Luke loves her.

Luke and Miss Sharada

 The wonderful news for all of us is that Miss Sharada, although she won't be in Luke's classroom this summer, will be Mia's small group teacher as she begins early preschool in a few weeks.

Luke, Mia, and baby Kristy

 A few family photos after the ceremony

Then out for ice cream sundaes (Luke's choice of post-graduation celebration!)

Congratulations, sweet boy!  We couldn't be more proud of you and the person you are becoming.  You are SO ready for Kindergarten (something we were not so sure of at the start of this school year).  You finished preschool with flying colors!  You are incredibly smart, sensitive, kind, curious, articulate, and social - the world is at your fingertips.  We love you!