End of the School Year

The school year has ended for Elina. Even though it was only 2 days a week, it's nice to have a break from waking up early and frantically getting ready to drive to school. (I admit to being a poor planner on most school days.)

Elina's class had their end-of-the-year party at a local park that we love. It has a huge playground and a nice sandbox. (I'm not a real fan of open, public sandboxes because of the gross factor, but the kids love it, so I am forced to love it as well.) It sounds like it would've been a lovely outing for me and the kids. I mean, how can you go wrong when you have friends, food, and a playground? Well, just add in an overtired, non-stop crying baby and it makes for an exhausting morning. That morning Evie didn't get her morning nap, so she was a crab. Then she screamed in the car all the way to the park. By the time we got there she was already exhausted, but she couldn't just go to sleep. So Evie was passed around from person to person for a little while to see if someone could get her to calm down. She had some quiet moments and KT finally got her to nap for a bit in the car seat, but overall, she was just upset. Boo.

Other than the crying baby, the party was fun. The kids played, did little crafts, and had snacks and cake while the parents chatted.

Elina gave each teacher a little potted plant in a pot that she painted. Then the teachers were sweet and gave me and the other room parent a big pot with plants in it. Each kid had used their fingerprints to make a picture on the pot. Elina made a pink flower with her fingerprints. I really loved the gift, but I didn't love that during the drive back home the pot tipped over in the passenger seat footwell and I had potting soil ALL OVER THE FLOOR.

The scene when I got home was a nightmare. Evie cried the whole way home and Eli was falling asleep because it was nap time. So the minute we got home, I took Eli out of the van, ran him upstairs, and threw him in bed. Then I went back to the garage to dust all the sand off of Elina. Then I brought Evie out and put her on the futon (where she continued to bawl), while I went back to the car to scoop up moist potting soil. I scooped up as much as I could and then just left the mess in there because I had to put Evie to bed. I ran in, swaddled Evie, and she immediately fell asleep. After that I didn't have the energy to clean the car, so I left it until the next morning.

It was seriously a rough morning out. I think Evie functions better when we go out after she's had a solid morning nap. We had gone out to Elina's gymnastics class at 11am the day before and Evie was quiet and alert because she had gotten her morning nap in. The difference between the 2 outings was amazing. Consider this lesson learned.

Anyway, Elina had a great year at Pre-K. She made good friends and learned new things. Elina's favorite classes were Motor Skills (like P.E. or Gym) and Music. Her favorite classroom job was being the Messenger because she got to go to the office and get a stamp on her hand each time she went. (It's funny because most of the kids loved being the Messenger so they could leave the classroom...but Elina's classroom happened to be right next to the office, so it wasn't even that long of a walk!) Elina claims that there wasn't anything she didn't like about school. I love when kids are little and school is so much fun. Elina can't wait to return in the fall for Kindergarten. Can you believe Elina's going to be 5 years old and going to Kindergarten every day? It's really flown by. And even though I have my hands full right now, I'm going to miss having Elina at home with me. She really is a HUGE help around the house, a great playmate for Eli, and an enthusiastic commentator on everything that happens in the house. What is Eli going to do when Elina's gone? Poor guy. What am I going to do when Elina's gone? But I guess they all have to grow up some time. I know that I will shed some tears when I drop Elina off for her first day of Kindergarten...but we'll get to that in a few months. For now, I'll just enjoy this wonderful summer that I have with her.
Above is a cute picture of Elina with her teacher, Mrs. B (on the left), and her teacher's assistant, Ms. L (on the right).