Mary Starts Preschool (and Graduates)

It seems awfully weird to be posting about Mary starting preschool on the VERY day we had preschool graduation.  But what do you do?  I just do what I can....

Mary started preschool this year with Miss Leigh's Busy Bee Preschool - an in-home preschool in Highlands Ranch.  I had already signed her up before we moved and I wanted to keep her where I felt good about.  So we drove to Highlands Ranch every Tuesday and Thursday this year.   And Mary had a great year!  She was one of just 7 kids.  And I think that it was a pretty awesome preschool.

This is Miss Leigh.  She came to our house before school started to meet Mary.

Of course Mary loved her right away!

Here is Mary on her very first day of preschool.  Isn't she just adorable and beautiful?  I posted these pics on FB and so many people said she was a spitting image of me.  That made me feel happy.

The commute wasn't bad.  We had a routine.  Drop Mary off, then go on a walk with Jonathan along the trails by Miss Leigh's house, stop at the playground and play, walk back to the car, and head over to the grocery store for my weekly trip.  Sometimes there was time for another quick errand too.  Thursdays were a similar routine.  But instead of going to the grocery store, we would go to story time at the library.

Here is Jonathan doing his favorite thing at the park - swinging!

He loves the slide too.  This slide was the perfect size for him.

I just want to take a tangent here and tell you how wonderful it is to live in Colorado where it is warm and I am able to go outside with my kids almost year round.  I do lots of different things to try to stay in shape.  But walking outside pushing a stroller is just good for the soul!  I love being outside and seeing animals and people, hearing the birds, being in nature and in the sun...  It is good for mental health and really too is a pretty darn good work out.  I have to tell you though, that the Highlands Ranch trails are so great too because of all the hills.  Parker trails (at least the one I've been on) are pretty flat.

At story time holding his egg shakers.. Too cute yes?

Anyway, so that is how we spent much of our time this year.  And it was fun to listen to cds in the car with the kids (favorites were my choir practice cd - Ilay specifically, and Frog and Toad soundtrack), and be able to have one on one time with Jonathan.  It worked out well (well except for when Jonathan would fall asleep on the drive home - ARG!)

And since this post is all about Mary and her preschool, I will just go ahead and post pics of her little graduation.

Here are all the kids in Mary's class with Miss Leigh.

Here is a photo taken THIS week of Jonathan at our park we always went to (Toepfer Park).  He has grown quite a bit I'd say.

 Okay, back to the graduation...
Enthusiastic Mary!  Also with buddy, M.

Mary and Miss Leigh.  We love Miss Leigh!

Daddy came to Preschool graduation too!

Jonathan stayed home with Grandma Bonnie.  But here is the rest of us!  She looks so big in these photos.

It's been a great year!  Went by fast!  One more year of preschool and then off to Kindergarten.