Yesterday featured not just one but two graduations. The 5-year-old graduated from his “kindergarten readiness” preschool program, and the 18-year-old graduated from high school.
They were a little different. No one sang Raffi songs at the high school graduation. But both were a great chance to reflect. I’ve been feeling nostalgic and proud this week.
All five kids have gone to this particular preschool. The oldest started there in the fall of 2011. I will admit that a key reason we chose it is that it was half a mile from our old house. Also one of my husband’s former colleagues was sending his kids there and was happy with it. But it’s been great for the last 14 years with one year off in the middle. And we left our own tiny mark on it — in one of the annual silent auctions a few years ago we purchased naming rights to the school’s new nature trail (it was quite a bargain, really!). So I named it after our little guy. It was emotional attending the graduation yesterday, but I’m also excited to see the little guy go on to kindergarten. We attended the elementary school picnic earlier this week and he was having so much fun running around the big kid playground and play area with all his friends.
Then the high school graduation was a lot more formal. We got into quite a traffic jam around Villanova’s campus trying to park, and my son actually hopped out of the car in his cap and gown to walk to the venue. We sat with another family that we’ve known for a long time — our two seniors played together when they were little, and now our 7th grade daughters are good buddies. The 7th graders actually sat a few rows away from us, which was kind of funny. But anyway! We clapped and cheered.
I am so proud of my son. He did not have an easy start to high school, but he learned how to study and has now gotten straight As these last two years, including in many AP classes. And had a lot of cool experiences along the way in many different areas. He got to sing in Carnegie Hall, is going to a national technology competition this summer, and spent the last month working as a teacher’s aide in a first grade classroom for his senior project. Oh, and wrote a novel! I’m excited to see what he’s going to do with himself in this next chapter and beyond.
I’m hoping for good weather this weekend as we have a lot going on that involves things that would be best outdoors. The forecast has some rain, so here’s hoping it will be overnight…
Congratulations on two huge milestones! You are really going to enjoy this next stage of parenting – meeting his new friends, hearing about his professors, parents’ weekends, etc. They change and grow, and you will love the friendship that continues to evolve with your oldest!
@Elizabeth – oh yes, it will be fun to experience this next stage. I’m excited to see it!
Wow! He wrote a novel! And how sweet that he volunteered with the 1st grade classroom. That’s the grade my oldest is in. He gets really excited when the 5th graders work w/ them – he’d be extra excited about a really big kid being in the classroom!
How exciting that your youngest is going to K in the fall. We look forward to that milestone next fall for our youngest. He’s starting the PK program at the school this fall so we’ll have one drop off that is 5 minutes away which is going to really simplify things! We’ll enjoy that for 4 years and then they won’t be at the same school until they are in 9th/12th grade!
@Lisa – the 1st graders were really excited to have him, which was great. He had a good time being in that role and learned a lot. One drop-off will be amazing. We’re never going to hit that here until there’s only one kid left haha.
Congrats to you and the boys. What a special time for your family!!!
It’s so interesting to have the perspective of the opposite ends of the schooling system. One heading in, and one heading out. A reminder that the days can be long but the years are short.
What a wonderful tidbit, to have a trail named after H!
@Elisabeth – thanks – and yes, it was funny to be celebrating the end of five kids doing one transition, and the first of five likely doing the other. At the hs graduation they asked for anyone whose youngest kid or only kid was graduating to stand and we’re like yep, not even close.
So exciting for 2 graduates and the end of a preschool era! My oldest graduated 5th grade and while it’s a minor transition (it’s even a K-12 school so moving to middle school just means moving to a new hall in the same building) when they popped up the slideshow picture of my 5th grader next to his kindergarden self, I about lost it! It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far! As Elisabeth said above, the days are long but the years are short! Congratulations!
@Kristin – oh that would be so adorable to see the K picture next to the 5th grade picture! They do grow and change so much. My phone has been popping up pics from Junes past and sure enough, people go from little to big.
Ooof! That is a BIG day for your family. I remember thinking after 12 years at our nursery school that I wouldn’t feel sad about leaving. And yet, when the day came I was much more emotional about it than I expected. Congratulations on all the milestones!
@Gillian – I definitely thought through some “lasts” – like the last drop off, or the last time I’d likely be in classroom 2. I mean maybe I will stop by at some point but a lot of things are now in the past for sure.
Congratulations on both milestones! What a special week for your family. You’re going to love the next stage as well.
@Kaethe – thanks! And congrats on your next one being off to the next thing as well!
I love hearing what these seniors are up to! A novel is so cool! Congratulations on many milestones in your family!
@Lauren – thank you! The novel has been a long effort and now it’s on to revising…
This is the coolest thing ever!!!! What an amazing day for your family. Years ago I used to read a blog about someone who had a baby the day she moved her oldest child into their college dorm and this has similar vibes!! Love these big families vibes. Congrats to your sons!!!!
@Molly – ha, not quite that spread out! But a ways – it was a good day 🙂
Laura – Congratulations to both of your boys. What a day! I remember when our son graduated preschool we took him to a pizza place where kids were charged by their age. Our son, on his own, announced he was 5 and 3/4 and a preschool graduate. We still laugh about that one!
@Melissa- thanks! Your son wanted everyone to know!!