Sunday, June 12, 2011

Moving On Up....

So.

Friday was Ethan's preschool graduation. Or, as the powers that be at his school called it, "Moving Up" Day. And as promised, I made a total ass of myself with the weepies. Truly, I wouldn't have, I'm sure of it, if they hadn't played that Israel Kamakawiwoʻole mix up of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" as my baby came walking down the aisle with his friends. Seriously, people. Dr. Mark Greene of ER did his whole "great doctors don't die; they just fade away on the Hawaiian breeze" death scene to that song, and I danced with my father to the Louis Armstrong version of "What a Wonderful World" at my wedding, and the lyrics about all the potential & the passage of time & the beauty of the world through the eyes of the young, and OHMYGOD!!!! It's just a song RIFE with emotional baggage, so obviously at the first note, I was a big embarrassing mess. Sigh. They may as well have just thrown on a bit of Bridge Over Troubled Water, mixed that up with Puff the Magic Dragon & finished it off with Sunrise, Sunset; then I may have just passed right out due to sap-induced emotional overload. Seriously.

Ethan & his little friends were adorable; they walked in one by one, each carrying a rose they gave to their teachers at the end of the aisle before going up to sit on the stage. They sat through grown-up speeches thanking teachers, directors, administrators, etc., and aside from some twitching, dress-lifting, yawning, squirming and elbow-sparring, they were model little people for the entire ceremony.

After they stood up and sang a sweet little song about peaceful, happy people (not to be confused with shiny, happy people), complete with sign-language accompaniment (or reasonable attempts thereof), it was time for their diploma (or...certificates of move-uppance?) One at a time, each kid stood up by one of their teachers & the teacher read a little bit about the child---what they wanted to be when they grew up, what they'd wish for their family if they had one wish, etc. Most kids wanted to be astronauts or veterinarians or ballerinas when they grew up. Lofty, if standard. My kid? My kid said he wanted to be "The Next Beatle. I'm going to be the youngest Beatle." And his wish for his family? "That I could sing them a new Beatles song." Me, too, little man. Me, too.

After the ceremony we ate hotdogs, fruit and cupcakes, got our faces painted and stood in endless lines for the balloon artist. Or rather, I ate a hotdog, fruit & cupcakes while Ethan got his face painted and stood in an endless line for the balloon artist. My 32-lb 5 year old, preschool graduate seems to run on an endless supply of energy that is not derived from food consumption. I counted a small handful of challah & three strawberries going into his mouth during the entire picnic. I am going to observe his eating habits closely for the next week, write a book, call it "The Ethan Principle: Its Not a Diet, Its a Lifestyle" and make a million freaking dollars. I'm sure it will consist of constant motion & a diet of string cheese, fruity Cheerios, freeze-dried mangoes & buttered noodles w/ sprinkle cheese. Doesn't sound tasty to me, but you should see this kid's abs.

This "moving up" stuff is serious business...

Thank goodness I brought my mad photography skillz to the party, right?!

Three mover-uppers discussing what is, no doubt, a weighty matter, during the ceremony.

Seriously some of the cutest kids. ever.

Are the grown-ups still talking?!!!

And then they sang.

Ethan's teacher read's Ethan's Beatles Manifesto.

And shakes the rabbi's hand while receiving his certificate of move-uppance.

Aaaaaand then he uses said certificate as a telescope.

Then it was time to fuel up with that one-bite of challah....

...and have at it with the koosh balls until the parents were done eating and tired of saying, "Have you seen my kid?! Where's my kid?!"

And then they were kindergarteners....

8 comments:

Brandi said...

My son also "moved up" after 3 yrs of preschool. They wore little graduation hats AND played pomp and circumstance. are you kidding? my eyes teared up as soon as the music started. i shoved the camera in my face and hoped no one noticed.

Sue said...

And don't blink, because in an instant, he'll be graduating from High School. Dang but they grow up too fast.

Unknown said...

And then they were sophomore's in high school (Yikes!)


(man-cub's freshman year finals end tomorrow .)

BRHarward said...

My son is graduating from preschool this Friday, and my husband and I have been dreading it since we knew they even had a graduation ceremony. Complete with cap and gown. We are going to be a complete mess. Such a bittersweet time to see our babies grow up!!!

Becca said...

I'm a puddle just thinking about it. I get you! Congratulations to Ethan!

Snarky Mommy said...

It's the one drawback of Montessori -- the move to kindergarten is no big deal since they're still in the same class with the same teacher that they're been in for the last two years! But we're all about making everything about "Well, KINDERGARTNERS don't (fill in the blank with whatever nonsense he's trying to pull)."

They're 5! They're 5? Surely this can not be.

lonek8 said...

that is some serious ceremonial business right there!

And Puff the magic Dragon is the saddest song EVER!! it almost brings me to rage if it comes on that anyone would write or sing or play something so sad.

Crystal said...

This post cracked me up. You are hilarious, and dear God, let there not be that song at Keira's graduation from ANYTHING, or they will have to carry me away lest I drown in my own tears.