Three Piggy Opera

A couple of weeks ago, Malakai graduated from preschool. It was such a bitter sweet moment. Of course, I can remember like it was yesterday, bringing him home from the hospital on that brutally cold December evening.

I've never really thought this kind of stuff was a big deal. I mean, if you make a big deal out of EVERYTHING, then nothing ever really is a big deal. All I'm saying is if you celebrate preschool graduation, kindergarten graduation, intermediate school graduation, junior high graduation, high school graduation, then none of it is really a big deal because you're doing it all the time.
Needless to say, it was still nice to celebrate this accomplishment with Malakai and to kick off the summer vacation with a little celebration.

They veered away from the traditional cap and gown ceremony and made it more of a End of Year celebration. The first 30 minutes was spent with a performance of the Three Piggy Opera, which was SO freaking cute!! Remember the whole "Malakai not having a part" thing. Well it turns out, there were only about 6 parts and 50 kids, so he was the majority. As you can see from the pics, they were wearing pig noses, ears, and a beard. As they were filing onto the risers, Malakai shouts out "DAD! Check out my BEARD!" From the second they started singing, I had big, fat, tears in my eyes. It was like the past 5 years flashed in front of me.

Here is to you, my precious first child. When you started school this year, honestly I was a little scared of what it would be like for you. You loved to read books…as long as you could cuddle up close to mommy, and then take a wrestle break with Dad before finishing. You loved to write your letters, in shaving cream or in flour, but never with something as boring as a pencil. You weren’t interested in learning to write your name. You told us your Aunt Kiera knew how and she could just write it for you.

So what would Pre-school be like for you? Would you be able to pay attention to your teacher? Read through a book completely? Write your name with something so plain as a pencil and paper? And most troubling for me I wondered and worried...Would your teacher be able to see how truly amazing you are?

Oh son – you more than proved my worries pointless and calmed my anxious heart. You have had an amazing year. I’m so proud of you. You’ve flourished in the Pre-School social scene. You’ve completely captured the heart of your teacher, as I should have known you would. You’re reading and writing and learning so fast that I almost wish you could slow down.

I love how you’ve listened as you and your daddy pray each evening. You’ve heard him pray that you would be a good friend, and find someone who needs encouragement. You’ve heard him pray that you would consider others needs over your own. You’ve heard him pray that you would know that you are "the head and not the tail, above and not beneath". I love how you’ve adopted those prayers as your own. In your own five year old way, you’ve begun to ask God to show you what to do and how to love people as you go throughout your day.

I’m so excited at how you’ve grown over this past year. This year of firsts. This year of Pre-School. I’ve grown too. Congratulations to my precious baby boy!!

XOXO,

Miller