We Have a Graduate

Marlie's Kindergarten Tea was on Friday - they can't technically call it a graduation (if I had to guess it would be because maybe there are probably people who need to repeat it!)  I was going to go by myself, but Marlie insisted that Samantha be there . . . so naturally I had to dress them in their matching teapot dresses :)

They had a cute little table of refreshments - and the selection of treats made Samantha so happy that she refused to pose for pictures!

They sang their little song that Marlie sings ALL the time and has now taught Samantha "Each of us is a flower growing in life's garden"

Marlie got a certificate

And then we went to celebrate at Chuck E Cheese - and Evan rode his first ride!

And I have to tell a little story about the tea.  Marlie's teacher was standing up and telling how proud she was and how much the kids had learned.  She said "at the beginning of the year, most of them could only count to 10 or 15" and before she could finish that sentence one of Marlie's little friends piped up and said "Not Marlie" and then 2 other kids said, "yea, not Marlie" and the teacher chuckled and said "you're right, not Marlie" because she could count to 100! hahaha  I just thought it was super cute that those little kids remembered the 1st day of school - she must have seriously impressed everyone with her mad counting skills!

And now we are excited to start our little homemade summer reading program.  We will do the library summer reading as well, but I wanted to have something to keep them going with more than just the little trinkets at the library.  I downloaded some awesome printables and we have a reading BINGO that both girls are doing.  Sam can either do Look and Finds, workbooks, or be read to - and Marlie's is independent reading.  They have to read for 20 minutes and the BINGO board has things like "with a hat" or "on the couch" or "on a Monday".  Each time they get BINGO, they get to pick out a coupon with rewards that they decided on like "get a Happy Meal with Dad" or "go to the park" and when they get a blackout on the card they get the Golden Ticket - which the girls both agreed should be a new LEGO set!  I said that was fine but I am talking a $10 set (because Miss Marlie wants a $70 LEGO house that I have assured her will most likely sit on her birthday list unbought until she is too old for LEGOs!).  Needless to say, these girls are goal oriented - they didn't want to wait until after Disney, so they have started their BINGO cards already!  Marlie has to be reading above grade level when she is tested for PASS in the fall . . . seeing that she is already reading Level 2s and 3s (1st-3rd grade books), I think we're safe - but this will still be fun for them.