Tiegan's Christmas Program

Last Friday was a fun day @ Kindergarten for Miss Tiegan.

Look closely... our girl is in the front shaking her maraca bootie while singing "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad." We have a little performer on our hands. She made us very proud!

Back @ the classroom, she participated in a "musical" book exchange. The teacher played Christmas music and when it stopped the last student holding the wrapped book... got to keep it! Great idea and oh, what fun. Jolly Old Santa Claus was the book she was gifted. Before the day was over, all the Kindergarteners took a walking field trip to bring some Christmas cheer to the ladies and gentlemen at the neighborhood assisted living home. Tiegan was awe struck by the number of elderly people grouped together in ONE significant place. But if you could have seen their faces while the children sang their Christmas carols, it would have warmed your heart. Special Christmas memories.

She's hit the ground running

So PROUD of this girl! She's only been in Kindergarten FOUR days. Wasting no time learning to read her sight words in simple sentences. Beautiful.

First day of Kindergarten

Miss Tieg is off to Kindergarten. Our litte girl is approaching another milestone in her precious life. I'm excited, she's excited! BUT... I have very mixed feeling about this growing up stuff. August 18, 2008: MEET THE TEACHER DAY.

This was a "trial run" for the new AM/PM Kinder's. Most of the children looked happy and excited to be at Kindergarten. There were some who were nervous; understandable and to be expected. Tiegan was so ready to go. She was more of the "observer" the first day.
Her teacher happily welcomed all of her new friends with open arms. Today's purpose: MEET THE TEACHER DAY! We were asked to play a little scavenger hunt game to locate certain areas important to the kids' school day. Tiegan loved storytime. The selected book of the day was, DON'T EAT THE TEACHER. All the children were engaged and you could hear them giggling throughout the story. After storytime, there was time to work on fine motor skills; practice writing names, alphabet, etc. and drawing works of art. (I think this day is really for the parents.)

August 19, 2008: FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN.

I thought for sure she was going to fall over backwards with her big ol’ backpack on! Cute... cute!

Love this girl so much it hurts!

Ready for Kindergarten.

Come on, Mom... I have new friends to make and LOTS to learn.

Proud to sport her new PRINCESS lunch box.

Principal on crosswalk duty!

Her backpack is bigger than she is. Cute as ever...Love this memory!

Can you find her signature? (It's not easy to read... she used a pink marker... imagine that?)

Bell rings and kids are to stand on the yellow line.

(Now she wants to be first in line.)

Gave me a kiss and off she goes... "Bye, Mom. Have a good day. See you later."

Star Board: Her teacher and family.

Called up to get materials for the classroom scavenger hunt.

Good listener.

Kindergarten is hard work!

(But someone has to do it.)Artist in the works.The next MONET... PICASSO?

Her teacher asked her to take a picture outside on the playground equipment.

What a doll!

Learn something new everyday!

Having fun on the Kinder playground.

What these pictures do not depict is that the first day of Kindergarten is hard on mommas; especially this mama. Five years. Somehow they flew by. I sit here with tears in my eyes BUT I smile through the tears, because she is happy. Just how I hoped she would be. Isn’t that how parenting is supposed to go? Help them grow, nurture them, love them, teach them... all to let them flourish in other environments? This is heartbreaking. And its only Kindergarten. (Three cheers for Mom for not letting her see me cry! I think I got it all out!) She loves Kindergarten. This is going to be an awesome school year! GO, Tiegan! Mommy and Daddy are so PROUD of you little girl!

(And to think I have to do this again next year for Miss Kennedy. Whew! Does this get any easier?)