Carrots from the Garden!

This Is EPIC!!!

Remember that post I did a while back where I basically sold my mom out by revealing her disastrously messy craft room to you? Well Carli came to visit and the three of us worked for hours organizing and streamlining, until lo and behold-- you can see the floor! It's a miracle I tell you! A miracle!!!

Lazy Summer Days

Preschool Grad

After 3 years of preschool, Emma has officially GRADUATED!!!

I made this dress for her special day. (My mom helped with the zipper in the back-- it was too advanced for me!)

Emma's best friend this year was Nina.

They played "Amazing Grace" on the bells for us parents. It was beautiful!
Emma's teachers Ms. Fowler and Mrs. Conner played, too.

Mrs. Whitney, the preschool director, taught my sister Carli and her hubby Travis when they were 4.

Emma was in the afternoon class which was very small, but she loved it!
L to R: Jeremy, Nina, Isabella, Bridget, Emma
(some kids weren't there-- Carl, Gunnar, Brandon, Dominick)

My sweet little baby is growing up too fast for me. In fact, I bawled the whole way home. Emma said I could have the rock she painted to remember her by when she goes to kindergarten. I know-- more bawling!!!

PRESENTING CRISTI LINDSAY PHOTOGRAPHY (someday I hope that will be a real thing!) But YOURS TRULY did make the dresses!!!!

I'm pretty pleased with myself since the dresses were only my third sewing project! So I had to take some photos! And I know Emma really loves her dress because she wants to wear it constantly and tonight when she was afraid of monsters in her room, she held the dress and finally fell asleep.

Lions and Tigers and Parent/ Teacher Conference-- Oh My!!!

So today was my first Parent/ Teacher Conference for Emma. Her teacher had many positive things to say such as:

Writes well
Follows directions well
Has great fine motor skills
Counts well
Recognizes almost all the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make
Can cut and color well
Raises her hand before speaking
Speaks well in front of the class
Is a leader and an independent thinker
Is absolutely ready for Kindergarten

I am obviously happy and grateful for all these things,

BUT there was a BUT. . .

She tends be cliquey and bossy and leaves certain kids out
She can be very moody and stubborn when there's something she doesn't like/ want to do
And she doesn't always have a positive attitude

I don't want my child to become the mean girl at school, so obviously this concerns me! But I think some of it is normal, right? And she's only 4!! Gee whiz!! I don't think she even knows she's affecting other people the way she does yet. Her teacher said she is a leader but needs to learn to be a leader in a more positive way, but isn't she a little young to even know what that means? For now, we're going to regularly remind her to include everyone at school and be NICE to Everyone.

I don't even know where she gets this from-- I swear, I was the reserved one at that age, as was Alan. Maybe since Alan lives in Sacramento half the time because of school, she is lacking that male influence and discipline. Oh heaven help us for the teenage years!! I refuse to have a mean girl!!! But I also know that 4 year olds only comprehend so much. . .

P.S. Don't get me wrong-- we LOVE her school and her teachers, I was just a little surprised.