Graduations

So, three of us S's graduated this week.

First was Jason on Sunday...it is offical, he now holds a Master's Degree from a university he's never set foot in:


No, it won't be making a difference at his job, he won't get a promotion or a raise or anything like that. We're just thrilled that after the second round of layoffs that just happened that he still has a job at all! And his jobs have paid for this degree...now that school is out of the way he is using his new free time to focus on his music and his beer brewing.

My "graduation" was on Wednesday...it was Carson's last day here and so I've graduated from simply practicing having three kids to now knowing I can do it. Unlike Jason, I will be getting a promotion: Mom to three. :)

And today was Easton's...he's all done with "preschool"...next year they move up to "Pre-Kindergarten" or as he refers to it, "Pre-K". We are so proud of how far he's come this year. He's learned soooooooo much and while separating from me still isn't his favorite thing in the world, we're thrilled he's got such loving and supportive teachers to help him through this transition. He'll have his same teachers next year and many of the same kids in his class. For Easton, I'd say that is a very good thing.

However, two of his buds I picked out for him at the beginning of the year to help him have friends and hate school a little less won't be coming back...Isaac already moved away. I had no idea till I realized I hadn't seen them in awhile and asked E. Easton told me that Isaac went to a different school now. I asked Mrs. M this morning and she confirmed that yep...he's gone...to Seattle earlier this month! Guess we weren't that close. Ha ha ha! Then I just found out today that Connor will have to be moving to full-day preschool next year which is a big bummer as well. Phooey!

I took a picture of E on his way in to his last day of preschool:


Here he is back on his first day of preschool back in August:


He's grown a lot...in more ways than you can see, obviously. :)

The kids didn't have a special ceremony or anything like that--they'll get that after Pre-K next year, though. Instead the room mom threw together a little picnic after class. Not everyone came and with the 59 degree weather we ended up having it in the basement of the attached church instead of a picnic but that's okay. Both Easton and Dalton had a blast playing with the kids that were there. Including two of his absolute favorites...Emily (who he had gymnastics with):

(The kid in the back is Tim, Jacob's 7 year old brother who Easton just loves but Tim was trying to crash all the pictures.) :)

Then Jacob...I thought this was sooooooo cute. I just asked if I could take a picture of the two of them and they just posed so sweet:


See that kid in the background? He'll be in Dalton's class...look for him in about a year and a half. And see that pregnant belly in the other part of the background? It'll be in Wabie's class...look for it in the fall of 2012. :)

Easton had a ton of artwork from the year which some of it will actually be getting saved. I'll be using AJ's method of storing a few special things. Like his still life from a week or two ago. And some of these...
His Monet...


Maybe this one...


Or his portrait of his oldest friend, Max:


And we'll see about these ones:
Nosabus (I don't have a clue what that means):








We're not completely done seeing his schoolmates though...there's a zoo field trip next week with all the classes (like even neighbor kid Ben). Then Jacob's hosting a summer kick-off party at his house in June which we'll be attending as well. I get to go early to rifle through his mom's maternity wardrobe to see what I can find to wear the rest of this summer. Then some of the moms are talking about trying to do a few more things over the summer to stay in touch before our kids all continue with Mrs. M's 3-day class next year.

I think it will help E next year if we continue to stay in touch with at least a few of his classmates. Hope it works out!