Yes, I have Little Princess graduating from pre-k, and Big Princess graduating from Elementary School on May 22.
Being honest, the pre-k celebration isn't that big of a deal. She's in full day pre-k at our school, will be with the same kids, same school, etc. It's a big deal in that it's a milestone, for sure. We'll mention it, celebrate it, she'll have a little graduation ceremony during the school day.
Big Princess.That's a huge deal - we don't have a middle school; she will enter high school as an 8th grader in August. Also a huge deal since for the first time since she started kindergarten, she won't be in school with me. :( I'm a mess! I'm working with other mom's to organize a party for all the kids, so our home celebration will be simple, just family over after the ceremony. The whole school party is going to be a luau theme. Since we divided and conquered the tasks, I'm not sure what all the details are. I'll take pictures and post later!
At least the color scheme can be the same for both girls, even if it does look like Halloween - orange and black. Go Wildcats!
Decorations:
Here's a hint: if you are doing a graduation party, especially elementary, ask the principal if there are items you can borrow with the school logo. You won't have to spend as much on decorations!We have pom poms, a stuffed wildcat, and I have some things that have been gifts over the years from PTO and students. One is a black 31 organizing utility tote with our last name in orange. I will put that to use, somehow. Might put all her of elementary yearbooks in it for browsing. Candy dish with school logo (maybe fill with orange candies?) Plastic cups with school logo will hold the "silverware". We have a school colored wreath in the office I'm going to borrow, maybe a banner from the hall! Going to do a scavenger hunt of my classroom and my school next week.
Going to get a few orange and black balloons,orange and black plates, cups, napkins. Saw some polka dots at Walmart, can't remember if they had orange or not. So we'll be hitting up there or the dollar store. I have both orange and black patterned washi tape, so I'll add that to the cups for a little pizazz.
Going to pull out the Halloween sprinkles and make these cute little tea lights
IF I have time, going to make a similar bunting out of orange and black felt
Food
Going to keep this simple. Graduation is at 6:30, everyone will have had dinner prior. We will just have cupcakes and ice cream. I love these, going to do orange icing, orange tassel, and maybe black sprinkles if I have some left from Halloween! Love that the Hershey Bar and Reese's Cup are close enough to black to be able to leave alone.
I may make these for Little Princess' class while I am making them for cupcakes if I have time. There are only 18 of them versus 71 graduates for Big Princess:
I love this preschool graduation cake. It's adorable. I would totally do something similar for Little Princess if I didn't have Big Princess to concentrate on!
Source: bit.ly via Taryn on Pinterest
Gifts:
Big Princess: Sometimes, Big Princess stalks my blog. So I'm not going to reveal her gift from us just yet. Her big,retail one. STOP READING BIG GIRL - surprises are great!
I love sentimental gifts. LOVE THEM. I have to do something homemade in addition to her retail gift. Thinking about giving it to her first, because she will be done when she opens the other one.
She will have her yearbook with her friends' signatures and messages. But there are a lot of things I want to tell her. Quotes I've collected, and what entering her teen/high school years can/should mean. How our relationship will change. What I expect, what I will give in return. I'm going to buy a pretty journal, and write them in it. I'm also going to have her Daddy write a letter in there, even if he hates his handwriting and grammar. What I wouldn't give to have that from my Daddy now. Also passing on to her grandparents, and aunts and uncles, a few cousins. We'll all be together this weekend for Mother's Day, so it will be the perfect time. I think this will eventually become very special to her.
She will have her yearbook with her friends' signatures and messages. But there are a lot of things I want to tell her. Quotes I've collected, and what entering her teen/high school years can/should mean. How our relationship will change. What I expect, what I will give in return. I'm going to buy a pretty journal, and write them in it. I'm also going to have her Daddy write a letter in there, even if he hates his handwriting and grammar. What I wouldn't give to have that from my Daddy now. Also passing on to her grandparents, and aunts and uncles, a few cousins. We'll all be together this weekend for Mother's Day, so it will be the perfect time. I think this will eventually become very special to her.
Little Princess:
As I said, not such a big deal,emotionally for me, anyway. She, however, will feel like it is. I'm sure her amazing pre-k teacher will make them feel like it is! Still working on just the right "retail" gift for her. She is one of those want everything she sees kind of kids, but we have soo much stuff lying around that I don't want to deal with more junk! She does love jewelry, so I thought about a special pair of earrings or necklace. Or a gift card to spend at Disney, she tends to keep up with things purchased there.
I thought about a journal gift for her, too, so she will feel special. On the first few pages I will write some things she is always saying or doing to crack us up, some special pre-K memories. I gave the journals to my family when we were all together for Mother's day, and they all wrote special messages to her in them. I can't decide if I want this to be her elementary years book, and do the special memories for each year, or let her have the back pages to doodle in, put her stickers, etc.
"You've got the write stuff, Miss Pre-K graduate"
I am also giving her a personalized dictionary with her journal/scrapbook. She loves to write, so I thought about writing each family members name in correct handwriting at the top, and then she would have them to practice; grouping the names by family. Then, maybe include the alphabet correctly, friends' names, words she can sound out. Rather than doing traditional writing dictionary alphabetical order pages, I will section it off by theme: Family, friends, sayings, alphabet, words I know. Again, this idea literally came to me as I was writing this post. Love it how that happens. I'm thinking a binder would be best, so we could add pages. I would like the portability of a zippered small binder, like a planner, if I could find an empty one at the right price, but the sizes of pages are so odd. Maybe something like a portfolio, so we could store pencils, pens, handwriting paper, whatever kinds of paper we have and don't use. I might have one already.... hmmm.... So now, at 5:32 on a Saturday morning, I am seriously considering a Wal-Mart trip!
I thought about a journal gift for her, too, so she will feel special. On the first few pages I will write some things she is always saying or doing to crack us up, some special pre-K memories. I gave the journals to my family when we were all together for Mother's day, and they all wrote special messages to her in them. I can't decide if I want this to be her elementary years book, and do the special memories for each year, or let her have the back pages to doodle in, put her stickers, etc.
"You've got the write stuff, Miss Pre-K graduate"
I am also giving her a personalized dictionary with her journal/scrapbook. She loves to write, so I thought about writing each family members name in correct handwriting at the top, and then she would have them to practice; grouping the names by family. Then, maybe include the alphabet correctly, friends' names, words she can sound out. Rather than doing traditional writing dictionary alphabetical order pages, I will section it off by theme: Family, friends, sayings, alphabet, words I know. Again, this idea literally came to me as I was writing this post. Love it how that happens. I'm thinking a binder would be best, so we could add pages. I would like the portability of a zippered small binder, like a planner, if I could find an empty one at the right price, but the sizes of pages are so odd. Maybe something like a portfolio, so we could store pencils, pens, handwriting paper, whatever kinds of paper we have and don't use. I might have one already.... hmmm.... So now, at 5:32 on a Saturday morning, I am seriously considering a Wal-Mart trip!
But what if you need so ething more simple and like less dessert and more in decorating and like creative ideas.
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