The End of the Beginning

I blinked and Charlotte's first year of preschool has come to an end.  Blink twice, it'll be kindergarten graduation; three times, her high school diploma.  Today was a trying day with my strong-willed stinker, but these are the posts that remind me to stop wishing away even the difficult moments.  To take a deep breath and remember that, while they may be physically draining, most power struggles can be resolved by getting down on her level, really listening to what she has to say, and hugging it out.   And that one day, I may miss the over-the-top-drama, especially the last couple sniffles while I hold her close and she whimpers, "I'm haffin' a hard day."  (All because her capris were too baggy in the knees).  I'm well aware that these "hard days" will seem pret-ty easy once the pre-teen years hit! 

When I picked her up on the last day of class, she couldn't wait to show me her ABC book.  I'm assuming they compiled these throughout the year because she pored over each page like I would a baby book, exclaiming, "ooooh, I remember this one" or "mama, you're gonna love this letter".  So proud and so cute.

Charlotte can be next to impossible to capture on camera, and I often feel like a bad mom because it seems I have endless shots of Molly (who may be the only second child in history to be photographed more than the firstborn??).  But it's no secret that most tots won't sit still, let alone hold a pose... And a sure-fire way to make them run the other way?  Say "smile!" or, heaven forbid, "cheese".  Instead, I am learning to be ready with the camera (easier said than done when I'm still fumbling a bit w/ manual settings), engage her somehow, and hope for the best.  And sometimes I get lucky :)

The school year ended with a picnic, where the kids played and were wildly entertained by a clown named Rosco.  My high school girlfriends and I used to get such a kick out of old elementary school snapshots of our classmates --especially those cute boys we had crushes on-- so I tried to get a few photos of Charlotte's little friends, some of whom may be with her for the next 15 years(!).  Noticeably absent was a curly-haired mop top, whose name sure came up a lot in our house this year... perhaps that first crush? :)

Waiting patiently for their turn with Rosco.  I love how their tiny hands are folded with anticipation.

Goodbye Miss Chris and Miss Sheila!

Thank you for taking such good care of our babies and giving them a great start. ♥