April 1 was Mio’s last day as a 3 year old. We had a fun playdate with her friends Hiroki and Chika at their home and neighborhood playground.
Holding hands and running together.
Mio running off ahead with Hiroki-kun
Mirei and Chika-chan riding together.
Cuties at the playground together.
Mio is the oldest of the bunch… she’s looking so grownup here!
She was so excited at bedtime about waking up as a four year old, that she couldn’t go to sleep! Mama, on the other hand, was an emotional mess… I always feel a little bittersweet on the eves of my kids’ birthdays, but I’ve been feeling more teary than ever this time… 4 years old just sounds and feels so big, and time seems to go even faster as they get older. Mio is definitely not a toddler anymore.
I will always look back on and treasure my memories of Mio as a 3 year old, as I will her other ages. Each age is so special, but three was so much fun because she really started talking a lot at this age and her personality really started coming out. I can’t wait to see what four has in store for us!
Tuesday was the last day of Mio’s first year at preschool. We’re so proud of her, and also thankful for all the wonderful teachers who have helped her grow & learn, to make her first year in school so enjoyable for her! Mio has really grown a lot at school — her communication has grown by leaps and bounds with so much new vocabulary, and she plays well with other kids thanks to the socialization she gets there. While we had wondered if we were sending her to school too early at two and a half back in September (she used to cry at drop-off every time for about a month), we feel that she thrived and that it was a good experience for her. She loves school now!
Most days, we parents aren’t even really allowed to peek into the classroom through the door because the kids will get distracted, but on the last day, we were allowed to come in about 15 minutes early to watch the kids in the classroom setting, and see some of the songs and dances they’ve learned, as well as say goodbye to the teachers for the summer.
Mio’s the youngest in the class, and she loves getting the extra attention from the teachers.
Some video I took of the class singing. Mio was kind of distracted by the presence of all the parents…
“School’s out! It’s party time!”
Enjoying the lollipop she got in her gift bucket from the teachers.
Congratulations on completing your first year of school, Mio!
Afterwards, a bunch of Mio’s classmates’ moms had planned to meet at the park for a picnic lunch and let the kids run around to celebrate, so we joined and Mio had a lot of fun playing in the park.
This girl will climb anything and everything.
Mio’s preschool sends home progress reports written by teachers twice a year. Because Mio can’t quite describe in detail how her days at school are or what she did there, I love reading these and hang on every word! It’s really nice to hear firsthand from the teachers how she’s thriving in school!
