Micah Graduates

Micah is a graduate.  It's official.  He has graduated from First Presbyterian VPK.  He is now on track to go to kindergarten in the fall.  It's so hard to believe that he's old enough to graduate from anything, even if he's only four.

The graduation ceremony was really wonderful. It was a perfect way to celebrate the achievements of 27 four- and five-year-olds who are preparing to enter a whole new phase of life.

Liam was actually excited for his brother.

Micah, however, was not excited to pose by himself prior to the ceremony.

Walking in dressed in his cap and gown.

Ready for his name to be called.

One of Micah's teachers, Ms. Michelle, speaking to the parents about all the things the kids had accomplished throughout the year.

The happy graduate!  

Micah and his buddy Lloyd after the ceremony. 

No graduation ceremony is complete without cake!

 

The boys pose for pictures with Ms. Kathy, the Preschool Director, who has done a great job managing the school and all of the kids who are a part of it.

 

Celebrating with Micah.

Dear Micah,
We are so proud of you.  You keep asking, "Why?" when I say that so I wanted you to have in writing the reasons that we are proud of you.

• You are yourself.  You know what you love, you know what you want, you know what you want to do - and nothing can stop you.  While this is sometimes a challenge when it comes to obeying people like teachers, we like knowing that you know yourself and stick up for what you know is right for you. We hope that you maintain that sense of self as you grow.
• You worked really hard this year.  When we saw the difference between what you could do at the beginning of the year versus what you could do at the end, Daddy and I were astonished.  You are a great writer and pick things up so easily, but you also work hard to make sure your assignments are correct.  Keep on doing your best at everything you try.
• You are smart.  It's obvious through some of the projects you did and the observations you made that teachers recorded.  You pay attention and you put the pieces together and are always trying to figure things out.
• You are passionate.  It's sometimes misguided and sometimes hard to reign in, but it's there and it guides you.  Don't stop being led by your passion.
• You are compassionate.  We got reports from your teachers that you would play with everyone in the class, no favorites.  Thank you for sharing your love and making everyone feel welcome and like they are a part of things.  We pray that you never lose your compassion.
• You are growing up too fast.  My baby-faced boy has grown into a school-aged child who is more verbal than we once ever dreamed possible.

We love you, Micah.  For those reasons and so many more that we can't even list them, we are proud of who you are and who you are becoming.  Thank you for being you, for being such an incredible and irreplaceable part of our family, and for sharing your life with us.
Blessings on your journey.  We can't wait to see and hear all about your new experiences in kindergarten and beyond.

Love, Mom and Dad

Vacation - Pool Party

We spent a lovely and too-short week in Hilton Head at the end of May.  I'm dividing the pictures up in a few parts so that none of the fun is forgotten.
The boys love pools.  They're not so sure about the ocean, but they love pools.  They go back and forth between the baby pool and the big pool, kind of like life - sometimes they're big boys and sometimes they want to curl up in our laps like they're infants again.
Uncle Ryan helped Liam jump in until he got the hang of it himself.

 Micah was more excited to get in himself and swim around.  He liked to read the numbers of the depth of the pool so he could tell where he could stand and where he couldn't.

Wiffle ball + pool = endless fun.

Eventually Liam waded through by himself.

They love the fountain, making the water go through the pool noodles and splashing all around.

Even cousin Tyson got in on the act.

They were big fans of the blowup penguin that Mum-Mum and Pop-Pop got Liam for his birthday.  

Even Mommy got in on the act.

Vacation - Beach Boys

The boys love the sand, and are growing to love the ocean. Of course, they need to have trucks, even on the sand. 

Uncle Ryan swung Liam around a lot - so of course, Micah wanted to be swung around a lot too.  Thank you, Uncle Ryan.

If trucks weren't enough, we had to make train tracks in the sand.  Micah did them himself and then laid down next to his creation.

Then he wrote his name in the sand.

This was our contribution to the timeshare community sandcastle contest.  We did not win.

Vacation - Playground Pals

Vacation isn't vacation without a little time with the ducks and time on the playground.  We scored both on this trip.  The ducks seemed a little less fearful of the kids than last year, so they allowed them to get a little closer.  Beware ducks, beware.

Aunt Deci and Tyson brave the slide.