Flashback Friday: Pomp and mini-Circumstance

This Saturday, the last of our pre-K babies will graduate from preschool.  How can it be that 5 years have flown by so quickly?  The year in and of itself seems to have just melted away like an ice-cube melting in the sun-once the year started it was done and over with in the blink of an eye!

The year Gregory and Jacob graduated from preschool was the same year we were able to enjoy Bill's sabbatical from work.  We took the boys out of preschool a month early, so there was no graduation for them.  Well, a formal one anyhow.

When Eric's time came it was bittersweet.  Bill and he had enjoyed their own little schedule since Daddy was the one taking him to preschool on the mornings he went.  I was contending with 2 little babies, which progressed to 2 toddlers, but by then they had come to enjoy their time together and the schedule stayed.  I took the pick up shift.  This was taken on the morning of his last day of preschool.  Bill was a wee bit sad!!

One sure fire way to make parents get teary-eyed? Dress their child up in a cap and gown.  Oh my gosh, my thoughts fast forwarded to high school  graduation so quickly, as I'm sure just about every other parents' did as well.

The graduates all stood up on stage and sang some songs.....that made the parents cry. Lookee there, it's Eric's buddy Ben!!

 Then they called each child up individually and said a few sweet things about that child....that made the parents cry......

And then it was on to the reception.  Cake time of course!  As one can easily tell, we were going for the Hawaiian theme dress.  Except for Bill, what's up with that?!

I had completely forgotten that we gave Eric a gift after the ceremony.  Poor Luke and Laurel-the old saying that the youngest kids in a family are lucky to get ANYTHING?  Well, I have to admit that we don't have a thing to give them for graduating.  Hmmm.....for the sake of no ill will down the road, perhaps I ought to come up with something-quickly!!  Eric got his gameboy way back then.....

Do you think he was excited?!

I'm really not ready for the innocence of preschool days to be done and over with for good.  Yet in the same breath, I know how absolutely ready they are for elementary school.  I'm pretty sure that's the job of the babies in a family.....to grow up way before mom and dad are ready.  I think I better pack some Kleenex......