graduation day

So you know how everybody's always like, "My baby's growing up so fast!  I can't believe she's already (insert age here)!"  Well, I never understood that phrase until this past year.  Having twins and always living far from family, we felt every last minute of every day, yearning for each milestone..."I can't wait until they can sit up" or "I can't wait until they are talking" or "I can't wait until they're potty trained" and on and on.  We never got to enjoy the baby phase like others seem to.  The first 3 years of their lives felt more like 6.  When people would say, "I can't believe they are already 3!" we would say, "Already???"  Other peoples' kids seemed to grow up incredibly fast, but not ours. 

But things changed when they turned 3, and we put them into preschool.  At first it was only 2 days a week for 2 and 1/2 hours a day.  Their first day of Preschool was in August of 2011.

Their backpacks were about bigger than they were.  I don't know who was more excited for this day, them or me!  They were "growing up" and getting to experience what school was going to be like.  I was getting 5 whole hours that I could use every week to run errands, clean the house, take pictures or do whatever I wanted KID FREE!  I would take them to school, the 2 and 1/2 hours would fly by like 5 minutes, and it was time to go get them again.

Last Fall, they began their 2nd year of Preschool (or Kindergarten Readiness).  They were gonna go 5 days a week for 2 and 1/2 hours each morning.  Once again, they were excited to be seeing their teachers and friends, and I was excited to be able to go to the gym again (among other things)!  Ben also attended Public preschool on an IEP to work on his socialization Monday through Thursday for 2 and 1/2 hours every afternoon.  As much free time as I thought I was gonna get, I didn't factor in the 2 hours every day in the car that I would be picking them up or dropping them off.  Most of the time I would book a photo shoot while they were in school, so I didn't find that I was able to get a whole lot done, but I still appreciated the extra "kid free" time I was going to be getting.

And now here are my "babies" all grown up and officially graduating Preschool for the 2nd and final time.

Ask me again if my kids are growing up too fast?  My answer is YES!!  I wish I could freeze them in time.  "Please stop growing!" I beg them every day.  And knowing these are gonna be our only 2 kids, I feel this even more urgently.  I'm sad that I wished their babyness away so fast.  I'm sad that I wasn't able to enjoy it like other moms can.  But I AM enjoying age 5 with a passion!  And all I can do from now on is enjoy every year that comes that much more!

Like last year, the twins had their graduation ceremony.  They sang songs and recited little poems.  And Ben and Sydney were chosen to hold the flag for the whole class.  I was a very proud mama :)

And as I'm watching them get their "diplomas," I can only guess that this will be their high school graduation before we know it.  This year, Ben shaking his teacher's hand and receiving his graduation bear....next year, Ben shaking his Advisor's hand and accepting his PhD ;)

And now I will place my hand over my heart, "I solemnly swear to never wish away one more second of this life away because I feel like the future will be better or easier, especially when it comes to my kids." 

XOXO,
Shauna