Kindergarten Party

Today was Julia's class End-of-Year celebration, and Madeleine and I had the honor of attending.  The kindergarten class performed two songs for their families, and we got to watch a slide show of each child at his or her favorite activity, complete with a recording of each child reporting his or her favorite kindergarten memory.

I never, ever thought I was going to be one of those moms who cried at her kid's end-of-kindergarten party.

But I thought wrong.  Watching this sweet little group of precious, innocent-faced little kindergarten kids singing together pushed my emotional barometer totally out of whack, and there I was, a teary-eyed fool smiling maniacally as I watched their charming little performance.

Clearly, Julia was much calmer and less emotionally invested in the whole ordeal than I was:

My little stoic.

At any rate, the whole thing was absolutely adorable and surprisingly moving.  In addition to performing for the parents, the kids each stood up and showed us their "graduation self-portrait," on which they had written their career plans for the future.  Each child announced his or her dream job, and there was a great array of ambitions.  One child wants to be a paleontologist, another a pianist, another a doctor, another a scientist.  There were several aspiring artists and ballerinas, and one little boy announced that when he grows up he wants to be a kindergarten teacher, as well as open an orphanage.

Julia held fast and firm to her early school-year declaration:

"When I grow up I want to be a waitress."

Dream big, Julia!

After the whole presentation, the kindergarteners and families were invited outside for popsicles, and the kindergarten class was, at long last, allowed to play on the BIG KID PLAYGROUND instead of being restricted to the kindergarten playground.  

Madeleine celebrated the whole big kid theme by peeing in her underwear while we were outside and subsequently gimping along across the woodchips to try and prevent the pee from leaking down her bare legs.

After I took Madeleine inside to the bathroom to do as much pee-wiping as possible, I brought her back outdoors to play for about two minutes before the kindergarteners were called back inside.  Madeleine was dumbfounded when I told her it was time for us to go home.

MADELEINE: But Mama.  When are we going to go to Julia's PARTY?

I guess watching a bunch of kindergarten kids sing and then playing outside for a few minutes didn't cut it as a party, in her humble opinion.

At any rate, I still have another trick up my sleeve to boost Madeleine's mood, as I'm planning to take the kids to swim at our newly-opened town pool after school, so hopefully that will be more exciting to her than the kindergarten party.  As long as it doesn't thunderstorm, and as long as Madeleine manages to NOT pee in her bathing suit, it should be a more successful outing!