Life According to Z: Our Girl: The Preschool Graduate

At the end of June, Joslyn had her last day of preschool and her graduation. I can't believe she starts kindergarten in the fall, the first of many educational milestones. We attended the Open House at Jos's new school. She was a little shy at first but then she saw the swings in the playground and the baby chicks in the classrooms and she was sold on the idea. It also helped that she had a few older friends who already attend the school showing her the ropes. She's excited about starting at a new school and is telling everyone that "I'm going to kindergarten next year!".

She's growing up so fast and challenging everything. The day of her graduation, really the entire week leading up to it, was a rough one. One of those parenting days when you think you might be doing everything wrong. She purposefully popped a balloon my mom had gotten her for graduation and I got so upset. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't appreciate anything she has and it's hard to think that of your child. I don't want her to be that way. So I took away her piggy banks and said that it was the money she was going to pay Ga for the balloon. It was a rough way to end what was supposed to be a fun night for her. We had a talk about it the next day to make sure she really understood why she had to pay Ga for the balloon and I think she got it. Even with days like that, I know she is an amazing little girl that has so much love for those around her and part of her growing up is testing her limits. I know her tenacity and her refusal to do things that she doesn't want to do will serve her well later in life even if it makes my life hard now.

I started a new tradition of having each of Jos's teachers write a note to her at the end of the school year in a copy of "Oh, the Places You'll Go". Her preschool teacher wrote the sweetest letter, with some wonderful memories, and it made me so proud to read what she wrote about Jos. She saw the same amazing qualities that we see in her. Jos was very lucky to have her as her first teacher and I know she will miss Mrs. Sylvia next year.

End of the Year Party at Pump It Up. She will miss some of her friends from school but luckily her BFF Viv will be at the same school as her next year!