...And a final preschool performance....

So - for my boys - yesterday's P4 singalong with my sweet "Little Elf", Milo, was the last preschool Christmas performance. We have a couple of years of Lil - a couple of years left of anticipating the kindergarten performance, but... my "little" boy - the younger of the two boys... as it has always been and always will be .... will be in kindergarten this time next year. I can and I can't believe it, ya know? He has always been beyond his years - always right behind big bro, Enzo.

Anyway, the performance was so cute - Milo was SO excited to see us - yelling, "hi Mommy - hi Daddy!" (which got the rest of the class going). He sand his heart out - seemed so pleased with himself. Mostly stayed quiet and attentive to his audience, but... at one point, jumped up and said, "I'm Rudolph - I'm Rudolph" (and with the classroom-made "reindeer ears" (actually antlers) on and the red painted nose, he could have been :-) - another time, he got VERY animated when he realized it was time for the bells (a little stage prop for one of the songs). Happy to report that, this year, all cameras were working - no disappointments - and, this year, we may be the gracious distributors of video and stills to parents who, like us last year, did not get good footage (or a good shot).

We left school for lunch at the "smiley cookie place" (Eat n Park, locals), both boys in tow - Milo with his bag of little gifts (and, this year, thankfully, all us parents showed restraint and did not load up on candy but, rather, we just had his paper angel and elf to hang on the tree - he had a gift from his teachers - very nice). Same with Enzo - he did make a gingerbread house for his craft at the Christmas "party" (and hats off to who brainstormed that activity - very nice, and manageable, for such a young classroom of kids) - but not as much junk this year in the back pack. And, I admit, I have sent candy in before too, but.... feeling more in the spirit of community and crafting this year ;-). Lil was along - happy to listen to Christmas music - just as happy to have lunch out at her favorite place (and we ran into a lot of Bede people there, which was nice too).

Later in the day, Olivia sang, for me, her audition song. And.... she really does have such a pretty voice. Conversation ensued with her pal, Olivia B, about whether she should do lacrosse or play..... Olivia B the seasoned veteran of both. Both BFFs parted ways - Olivia B to meet her boyfriend's extended family (8 kids - all home from college, etc.) - my Olivia to ice skate PPG Plaza around the Christmas tree with a sleepover later. All of us finally semi-well at home (some sniffles and runny noses), I tucked two tired boys in bed last night (Enzo did say, "We had a Christmas party at school, Mommy, and you didn't come." And.... I felt sad about that. Truthfully, I didn't know a craft was planned because I know he likes to do them with me, and there's nothing wrong with that. I should have known to go in to the classroom before Milo's performance, but... in my defense, in the past, I always got a note or email telling me what K had planned the next day, and this year did not. Bad Mommy ;-). Anyway - I told him the party was just for him, and we would do plenty of baking, building gingerbread structures and, of course, more "glitter work" this week :-). Milo was still so smug and content to have performed well. It is important to him to be in the limelight now and then, his two older siblings taking it most of the time - not to mention that demanding younger sis.

Photos: Today, the boys have a fort in the tv room. Obviously - no parents are allowed (see sign). AND.... they are, apparently, reindeer (see giant antlers and painted noses :-).