My baby is growing up!

I guess I really shouldn't call her my baby anymore! Meredith has finished her first year of preschool, and she loved it! This is how she started the year:




a 3 year old with a pink cast for her broken arm and just barely potty trained (we did it the weekend before school started!). Here's Meredith at the end of school:

Meredith and Mrs. Karla on the last day

Meredith and Mrs. Pat on pajama day

Meredith finished as a 4 year old - a few inches taller, a few new friends, and loving school! Some of her favorite things at school this year include the teddy bear parade, bringing cupcakes for her birthday to share with her class, playing outside, coloring with markers, craft projects, and stretch-n-grow.

One of Meredith's favorite things to do now is play school at home. And if her sisters are feeling cooperative, they'll even be her 'students'. She likes to read to them, teach them how to make things that she's made in class, and sing her school songs with them. She's tried many times to get them to stand and recite a pledge, but so far no luck!

When Meredith brought home her class picture, we sat down to look at it and she was telling me everyone's name. "Audrey, Sarah, Max, one of the Lukes, Isabella, Jade, the other Luke... (long pause)... I don't remember his name." There are 16 kids in her class. She knew them all by name except this one. When Greg got home and she was showing him, she did the same thing - couldn't remember this one little boy's name. Greg said, "Do you play with him?" Meredith replied, "Yes I do, a lot! And I still can't remember his name. Isn't that amazing!" Then a few days later as we were driving in the car Meredith suddenly says, "I remember his name! It's Edwin."

Sadly, there was one girl in her class who sometimes bullied the other students. Meredith included. Mrs. Pat was telling me about it after school one day. She said Meredith is just so shy and quiet at school, and too sweet to ever say anything - but she needed to learn to stand up for herself. So we talked about it a lot at home, and her teachers tried to help her at school. A couple weeks later Mrs. Pat told me that this bully had tried to push Meredith out of her spot in line and Meredith put her hands on her hips and in her southern belle accent said, "NO. I don't like that. This is my spot. Please stop!" Go Meredith!