School’s Out for Ella

Ella has had a big couple of weeks too.

She finished up her gymnastics program, and just in time for the last two classes, I was able to find a clearance leotard for her that met my criteria of not being a magnet for creepsters. Going for some modesty here. She starts the summer session in a couple of weeks.

Ella’s school year has also wrapped up. Last week, the class had their outdoor Fun Festival. Loran and I both volunteered. Loran manned the basketball station and I was in charge of painting at the easel. Fun was had by all. Ella really enjoyed bubble blowing and came home covered in bubble solution, smiling large. Not only did they have all of the fun stations to go to, even earning a medal for participating in the obstacle course (that medal was a big deal for the kiddos!), a treasure hunt once they got back to the class and a sing-a-long. Ella was in heaven and so excited to go home and show Aunt Chelsey (Lily’s wrangler) all of her treasures and goodies.

 

Recipe for fun: twenty children, several volunteers, dedicated teachers and several fun stations. Mix thoroughly in a field for an hour and a half and enjoy!

 

Ella’s not so sure about face painting, but she’s on board with arm painting!

The wind was perfect for giant bubbles, but many little activity cards needed to be untwisted from little necks!

Loran gets to bring in the easel that so many budding artists used. I enjoyed my growing art gallery.

 

Ella watches her buddy, P work on his painting, then tries her own!

 

Songs, a treasure hunt and candy! Ella’s in heaven!

This week ushered in the end of Ella’s first year of school. It was bittersweet. I’m so excited for our summer. We have a Y pass to use, lots of arts and crafts, a new bike to pull the Burley with for park adventures, but it’s still sad to say goodbye to friends made, children moving on to new schools and our beloved routine. Ella has adored her time at school. We have her signed up for two weeks of summer school so she can continue the fun. Even as a teacher, I looked forward to summer vacation, but it was still mixed emotions to see those little people (some not so little anymore) exit your classroom for the last time. Some are a little easier to let go of than others, but teaching is one of the only professions where you have to say goodbye to those you’ve grown to love, every single year. And not only do we say goodbye to our Garden of Hope friends, but the ECSE friends too. When purchasing flowers for the teachers, when the cashier asked if we were doing a lot of planting, I had to tell her that these were all teacher gifts – NINE flower pots for two little girls. It certainly does take a village. Between Lily’s teachers, Ella’s teacher and therapists, we have a full roster of people who love our two little Gutt girls!

Wednesday was Ella’s official last day of school. I thought it would be fun to have her wear the same dress she started the year in and take a photo of her last day, to accompany her first day photo. Always the overachiever, I am. Lily didn’t stand a chance of getting into her 6 month first day of school outfit.

 

According to her beginning/end of the year stats we received: Ella has gained 4 1/2 pounds and grown 2 1/2 inches since October. My own observations tell me she is up a shoe size and shirt size. She’s had two hair cuts, can now go up and down the stairs independently and even wears her own backpack!

Wednesday night, we and several fans of Ella attended the Garden of Hope end of the year program and graduation. The class did a wonderful job of singing the songs they had chosen for the program (including their favorite, Frosty the Snowman). Ella sang a little and had a huge smile otherwise. I’d told her if she was scared of all of the other people she should just watch Ms. Patty, and she did. Her little eyes were transfixed upon her teacher and were full of sparks of excitement!

 

So excited for the program! In looking at the second photo, I think they were arranged by age, with Ella as the youngest.

 

Bowing after their performance… And one of these five Ella fans was escorted out. Who was it?

 

The younger children joined their families and we then watched the older Extended Day children perform and graduate. *tear*

We celebrated the amazing staff who made the year look easy, despite the opposite. Ms. Patty who made recovering from emergency surgery look easy, and always stayed positive. Ms. Debbie who held down the fort and made tough choices in short order. Ms. Marie who stepped in after a phone call and gave it her all. Ms. Maria who stepped up when needed and continued the grueling Montessori training throughout the year to graduate a week before the rest of the class. Wow. A year of hardship and you’d never know it. They make it look easy through their dedication and hard work.

 

 

Ella with some of her fans, not everyone is pictured (Ella has a lot of fans).

We enjoyed a picnic full of great food and then it was time to PLAY! The children really enjoyed the playground. There were a few skinned knees, lots of smiles and laughs, many memories made, photos taken and far as I can tell, nobody vomited. Success all around!

   

 

The end of the year, always bittersweet. But if we had only experienced a fraction of the success we had with Ella, I think we still would have been in awe. We owe so much to Garden of Hope. I so look forward to the next five years or so years. And on that day, when our last child graduates and we’re called up to the front as a family. I will lose it. I don’t know how I’ll function to walk out of those doors one last time. It will be like leaving a family behind. I’m already a little choked up just thinking about it.

So we started our first day of summer vacation with both girls sleeping in! Hooray! We decided to go to the YMCA and Ella was SO excited to go. Only to arrive to see the parking lot was empty and two Y employees were sitting in lawn chairs directing people that the Y was closed due to a power outage. Try explaining that to an overly excited three year old. I’d banked on showering at the Y, so we continued on our path of errands which included grocery shopping. Now grubby, crabby and let-down. Luckily, I was able to fix Ella’s mood with  Kit-Kat bar. If only it could always be that easy. Here’s to great summer days with little to no power outages!