Graduation Girl!

Lexi's kindergarten graduation was on Friday (the 13th!) morning. She was so excited because they got to wear the "graduation hats" and her teacher told the kids they could dress up if they wanted to. I knew what she was going to pick to wear as soon as she told me that, and sure enough, she picked her puffiest, frilliest, fanciest dress, last year's Easter dress, which still fits her and which I've never allowed her to wear to school because it's so big and fluffy. But for something as special as Kindergarten Graduation, how could I say no? It was a fun morning, made even more special by the fact that several of us parents presented a gift of a rocking chair to Lexi's teacher. It was her first year teaching and she spent the entire year sitting in a little kid chair or on the floor. Not that there's anything wrong with getting down to the kids' level, but she needed a good teacher chair. She loved it, especially the plaque on the back that said, "With love and appreciation from your first kindergarten class, (school's name), 2007-2008"

Because I spent the whole morning at the school, I was able to reserve prime seats for the graduation, which is good because pictures taken in the school gym never turn out good if you're more than 10 feet from the front. Here's Lexi walking in, to the tune of (of course!) "Pomp and Circumstance":

They sang three adorable songs, including, "Head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen" (to the tune of "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes"), which they sang over and over, leaving out a new word each time and humming in its place. As in, "Hmmm, hm-hmm, abdomen, abdomen" and so on. Here's a shot of the humming. I like Lexi's face (she's back row, center):
I love this picture of her waiting to get her diploma. She was second to the last and had to wait while every kid in all three kindergarten classes had their turn. If you look closely you can see her foot tapping with impatience:
Finally!
Here's Lexi with her teacher. Lexi cried when she said goodbye after school that day. We loved her, too, and would be so sad not to have her for 1st grade, except that Lexi will have Vicki's 1st grade teacher, who we also love (and whose daughter I babysit three days a week!)