Nora taking in the scene. It only took her a few minutes (and a free swing) to warm up to the event.
We put together Nora's crown. Braided ribbon with some flower - picked from our own yard - tucked in. It came out really cute. Of course Nora did not want me to take a photo of her!
During the start of the Maypole Dance, Beth decided she needed to cuddle with daddy. She was so tired, but did really well.
The maypole dance was very sweet. The children sang a few songs as they walked around the maypole, each holding a ribbon. The final song was about a dandelion - growing old and turning white, until a child comes and blows it's hair all away (as the kids finished, they 'blew' the ribbons back to the center).
After the maypole, Miss Sherry, Nora's preschool teacher, took Nora's hand (much to her delight!) and led the children back to Bluebell. Here, Nora is asking Miss Sherry an important question.
We went on a final hike with the Bluebells. We got to see Rootland, leave a last gift for the gnomes and we even found a new spider web! It's always fun to watch young children looking at nature, they just see it so very differently from adults!
We finished the hike and returned to Bluebell for a wonderful snack. We had rhubarb crisp, popcorn and some homemade punch. Here's a photo of a few of the kids waiting patiently for their parents to bring them a snack!
Once they finished snack, the kids had a little time to play while the parents got to talk. Nora had a blast taking turns with another bluebell jumping! Seeing the confidence Nora has gained over the year has been amazing.
It was a very fun and active morning. For the first time in a long time, Nora actually fell asleep in the car!
It's very clear that Nora loved Bluebell. She's already asking to go back to school and can't wait to see her friends and make new ones! Nora loved each Bluebell day - helping grate cheese, chop veggies, make cornbread, watercolor paint, color, felt, and sew. She broke out of her shyness a bit in the spring and began to play with the other kids - but was cautious of who was in the group and as soon as she didn't feel safe, she would walk off and play by herself or join a different group. Then, after April vacation, she learned to pump on the swing and her confidence totally bloomed! She was racing ahead with the big kids on the daily hike (whereas before, she took up the rear at her own pace - painfully slow!). She began to sing loudly, which is something we hear at home a lot, but she never spoke more than a whisper at school. I only hope that I can provide her enough adventure this summer for her to keep up with her growing thirst for running, jumping and swinging!
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