And so begins the first of many summer vacations

David finished his first year of preschool last week. Assuming we can get him potty-trained by August, he has two years of preschool left. After that he’ll go to kindergarten, then elementary school, middle school and high school. If he decides to go to college that’s 20 years of school. His time in the classroom is 1/20th done. Well done, son.

He’s grown so much since his first day, he even has a bit more hair.

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He’s wearing the same pair of shorts in both photos (unintentionally, because I don’t have the brain power for that sort of planning) and you can see how much taller he’s gotten by the way they fit. He looks so much more grown up to me; more like a kid and less like a toddler. He’s less belly and more limbs.

All year I tried to dress him in the color of the month, but the color for May was yellow, and since Kriegers don’t look great in yellow he doesn’t have any yellow shirts. Instead, he wore his favorite shirt.

David really liked school. I know that because toddlers “like” really intensely. If toddlers ran Facebook, the graphic for the “like” button wouldn’t be a thumbs up. Instead, it would be a high-five, punch in the face, confetti explosion, and then Target would emblazon that thing on sippy cups, pajamas, and Band-Aids so kids can “like” it by throwing a fit when we walk by it without buying it.

The only thing louder than a toddler liking something is a toddler disliking something.

For example, David disliked standing on the porch while I took his photo.

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David loved school, and he learned so much this year. (Side note: I just noticed that if you click that link, David’s bag is floating in the first photo.) At the beginning of the year, when I asked him what he did at school he always said, “cars.” As the year went on, I saw a dramatic growth in his interest in drawing, painting, Play-Doh, and reading while we were at home. By the end of the year, he was still playing with cars at school, but he could also tell me the names of everyone in his class, recite the alphabet and sing “Jesus Loves Me.”

Tom and I liked school, too. We loved the activities and projects he did. But we’re so glad we decided to send him to school because there’s nothing more wonderful for a parent than to see your child thrive. David thrived at preschool because he was surrounded by fun friends and guided by teachers who cared well for him.

And now, when Mary Virginia is crying, instead of screaming at her, David sings “Jesus Loves Me.”

We can’t wait for next year.

2 Comments

  1. Tiffanie May 22, 2014

    Here you are, dressing your kid in the color of the month, and I am barely remembering to take the calendar out of Clara’s bag once a month. #colormeimpressed

    Reply
    • amandakrieger May 22, 2014

      yeah. almost every week david came home and mentioned how clara was never dressed in the color of the month. (and just to be clear, NO ONE ever noticed that i did it. not even david. or tom.)

      Reply

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