End of the School Year

There've slowly been signs the school year was drawing to an end. The empty lot next to preschool, where the kids often play for an extra 15 minutes after school (they've called it "Snow" for a year and a half now, despite the changing seasons. It started in winter.) has gotten greener and the dandelions have come and gone.





Sabine got her first homework assignment, she got a pail to bring home so that she could fill it with a picture and tell a story about it. She used the picture of her playing Spot It with her older cousins in Winter Park, back in February.



The preschool's annual silent auction was a big success. Sabine got her face painted, got a fabulous flower balloon, and volunteered to participate in the magic show this year, instead of sitting in the very back, like last year!





The magician turned three pieces of rope into one!

The weekend before last, one of Sabine's classmates hosted a BBQ for the whole class. About half were able to make it, with their families, and the kids had a fabulous time running around in the giant backyard, while the parents and teachers got to catch up a little, socially. Unfortunately, my phone was out of batteries, so I didn't get any pictures, thanks to O's mom for sending us this one!



And then, the inevitable. Last Wednesday was the last official day of school. Sabine wrote a card for each of her teachers, Kate



and Gail



And they apparently had a wonderful last day together. We'll be seeing Gail more this summer for preschool camp, but Kate is off. Fortunately, she says she's available for babysitting occasionally, so we're hoping we haven't seen the last of her!

Several of the moms decided to celebrate the last day together, and instead of playing Snow, we walked down to Lucky Pie for a (chaotic) pizza lunch together,







and then next-door to Sweet Cow for dessert.



Even the little siblings had a good time running and bouncing and sampling ice cream. (Aspen just about lost her mind with the ice cream--we've been holding out on her.)




It has been clearer and clearer recently how much Sabine has grown. She is definitely taller and stronger and more coordinated. She's also started drawing animals and a little more detail on her pictures of people. But she has also become a lot more independent, she recently announced that she didn't need a monitor in her room anymore, and sure enough, she has just come downstairs in the mornings, or even when she has a nightmare, instead of calling for us. We think she is slightly motivated from an invitation from her best friend to go camping with them sometime this summer, to prove she's up to an overnight away from home, but it's really something she wouldn't have been able to do even a couple of months ago. She is super helpful with Aspen and her cousins, and she is a leader at school. Sabine is reading more, and writing a lot. It's been amazing to watch her sound out words for signs, lists, and text messages. Literacy-ho!