Isabella's first year of preschool ended last week. I can hardly believe it. When I look back on the progress she's made, I have no doubt in my mind I made the right decision to send her (even though she was the youngest child in her class). I had faith in my little girl and I knew she would thrive; I just had no idea how much. Here are some photos from her first year in preschool.
This was her very first day of school. Isn't she tiny? I look back on this photo and wonder how I ever left her there that day.
Her teacher, Mrs. Juanita, took this picture on Isabella's first day. She cried for a few minutes after I left her, and then off and on during the day. She looks pretty upset here, poor little thing. And don't think for a second I didn't stand out in the hallway with tears in my own eyes after I left her. I watched the security camera monitor for twenty minutes, just to make sure she was okay.
Soon, however, Isabella decided she would rather be at school than just about anywhere else. She would frequently run down the hall, backpack in place, lunchbox swinging, to her teacher and friends with barely a backward glance at her poor mommy. What a difference just a few days made.
She had her second birthday just three weeks after school began. Yes, I started her in preschool before she was even two-years-old. I feel a little guilty about that, but like I said, I had a feeling she would do well. Mrs. Juanita decorated the classroom door in honor of Isabella's birthday. 
I made cupcakes for her classmates that day. Chocolate on chocolate with sugary Elmo heads on top. Yum!
Early in the school year, the local fire department came to give a lesson on fire safety to all of the children. They brought their trucks for the kids to explore.
They were each given a plastic fireman helmet to take home. This was a big hit!
Here she is playing dress-up in the classroom. What a sense of style!
One of the highlights of the year was the Halloween parade. All of the children dressed up as one of "God's Creations." Isabella was a ladybug. They trick-or-treated their way through the church. I volunteered to hand out candy just so I could see how she responded to the excitement. The kids were adorable, especially my little ladybug.
Isabella really loved her daily time on the playground.
It took her awhile to get used to the swings, but she soon got the hang of them.
She became quite adventurous. This little girl loves to climb!
This log cabin was one of her favorite playground pieces. It's fitting, considering the family business.
Fall arrived and with it came sweet friendships between Isabella and her "Mingos." (This is Isabella's word for her friends. Mrs. Juanita taught them the Spanish word "Amigo" for "friend." Since she couldn't quite say it, she settled for "Mingo").
Here is my little girl on the night of the Christmas program. She was so excited to be on stage. Once she spotted her family, she spent the remainder of the program waving to us and yelling our names: "Hi, Pappy!" "Hi, Daddy!" "It's, Grammy!" "There's my Mommy!" And so on, and so on...
She really enjoyed physical education time in the gym. She learned how to do somersaults and how to play interactive games with other kids. This was some of the most valuable time spent in school this year. Her socialization skills really seemed to blossom during this time.Here is a (very poorly recorded) video of Isabella's Spring performance. I don't know if I have ever tried so hard to keep from laughing and crying at the same time. Notice how the audience starts laughing when she begins her jumping routine. I apologize in advance for quality of the video. The kids are precious, regardless.
Lining up for the Easter Egg Hunt! She was so proud of her basket of eggs. When she came home, she very carefully laid out each egg, then organized them by color, and then by her favorite color. Next, she opened each one and was utterly delighted to find the surprises.
Here is Isabella and her classmates with their donations for the St. Jude Walk-a-thon. The kids actually took part in walking for this wonderful cause and my best friend, Amanda, came to tell the children about her own precious son's battle with leukemia, which he has beaten. God answers prayers.
Isabella and her "Mingos" with Mrs. Kristie during Enrichment. The time Mrs. Kristie spent with the class came to be a daily highlight for Isabella.
Isabella and her friend, Miles. Aren't they sweet together?
One of the best things about sending Isabella to preschool was the artwork that came to adorn the side of my refrigerator. I have saved each and every masterpiece.
Here she is painting my Mother's Day gift. For some reason, purple paint became her favorite medium.
Birthday cupcakes for one of Isabella's "Mingos."
Here are Phillip and Isabella eating gravy and biscuits during the special breakfast the school hosted for all the daddies. (Don't they look alike?)
Here's Isabella and her class on Pajama Day. They all wore their "jommies" (as Isabella calls them) to school, even Mrs. Juanita.
Isabella and Mrs. Juanita, the most precious teacher we could have hoped for. Isabella talks about her every day. She will truly be missed next year. I'm so proud of how Isabella has grown this year. Each day she went to class changed her just a little bit. She would get in the car each afternoon and talk nonstop about her day. While I'm looking forward to our time together this summer, I can't wait to see how she'll grow next year.
