July 6th was the big celebration for all the kids in Alexandra’s preschool who were moving on to kindergarten. They do not call it a graduation, thank goodness, but it is definitely a goodbye party. It is also the last one of these I will ever attend. Tradition states that I should be sad and bereft that my last child, my baby, is growing up. But I am just too excited about the prospect to be able to muster up even one tiny tear.
I was with my kids 24/7 for almost 14 years. Their needs always came first, as they should have, and I was fine with that. I did it happily. I loved being there to cuddle them when they needed it and sometimes when they didn’t want it but I did. 🙂 I can honestly say I don’t have any regrets about “wasting” their young years, and maybe that’s why I can look forward to the next phase with nothing but excitement and anticipation. I never wished away their baby years, but now that they are over, I am one happy mama.
So this goodbye breakfast was a milestone for both Alexandra and me. Margaret has been a friend of the family ever since Sarah first started going to Speilgruppe 7 years ago. And Rosario is the only reason Alexandra agreed to go in the first place. I was happy when she started teaching two days a week this year, because Alexandra only liked class with her.
There are a record number of children in Alexandra’s age group. 26, I think. To put it in perspective, Sarah and Noah’s classes only have 18 and 16 kids respectively, and at one point Nick’s only had 14. So 26 is a huge number that will really test the limits of the teaching staff when they start attending regular school.
Because of the large group, they held the breakfast outside, in the shade on the school playground.
The preschool provided all the food and we mommies just got to eat and enjoy each others company.
(The above photos are the work of Alexandra)
They also had a couple games for the kids since they were all finished eating much quicker than we were. 
We gathered all the kids together for a group shot, but with so many it was impossible to get everyone looking at the camera. It will be fun to look back on this when Alexandra is in the 6th grade and see how small everyone in her class was!
The kids had painted bags with Margaret and Rosario a couple of weeks earlier, and they passed these out at the party. Alexandra is now using hers as a gym bag for Kindergarten. 
Margaret is the lady holding the paper butterfly in her hand. The official name of the preschool is Spielgruppe Raupli, which means playgroup caterpillar in English. Since the kids were moving on to kindergarten they were now butterflies, and every one had crafted their own butterfly to give to the teachers. Alexandra is also holding a bag of homemade playdough, her gift from her teacher.
And this is the famous Rosario. Alexandra even asked for a Barbie last year, a “pretty brown one like Rosario”. Of course she got one.
Thank you for all the years of kindness, German lessons, and happy hours.