My Ava Graduates

Last night my little Ava walked across the stage and accepted her diploma. From preschool, but still. This was a momentous occassion. Her class sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and I cried. I could picture so clearly what she'll look like wearing her cap and gown up on stage again in 13 more years.

They asked each kid what they wanted to be when they grew up. Most of the other girls said "princess" or "fairy," Ava said cowgirl, but my favorite was the little boy who said he wanted to be a trick-or-treater. Wouldn't that be the best job?

I love the way four year old minds work. Ava loves trying out new words; when she picks one up she wants to use it all the time. For a while it was "niece," then "accessories," right now it's "compliment." She doesn't quite know what it means. Yesterday in the store she told me she could see my wrinkles (I'm 27!). To which I think I replied, "Ava!" She said: "It's just a compliment." Mmm-hmmm.

She also gets unfamliar words a little confused like in these recent occurences:

To the waitress at the pizza place after ordering bread sticks.
A: "But I don't want any irving."
Me: "You mean herbs?"

In the car on the way home from preschool:
A: "I know what unicorns are."
Me: "You do? What are they?"
A: "Clothes that match.:
Me: ?
A: "Red ones and blue ones and green ones and black ones. Like on the field."
Me: Oh, uniforms!
A: "Yeah, uniforms. That's what I'm talkin' bout."

There's a little boy at school named Landon who's parents I wanted to meet at graduation, but they left before I had a chance. Last week Ava's class had a field trip to see a performance of the play Click Clack Moo. They match up each of the kids with a buddy when the go on field trips, and on this day Ava's buddy was Landon. Unfortunately the play was at a time when the kids are normally taking their nap and my girl needs her sleep. So, on the bus ride home her buddy Landon sat really still so she could sleep on his shoulder. Is that not the sweetest thing? She was really shy about it when she told me (I had asked if she was tired from not having a nap that day).

We gave both of her preschool teachers gifts at her graduation and it's also teacher appreciation week. I found this at our local independent bookstore and thought it would make a great teacher gift.