Little N's school pictures

Today is N's last day of school for the summer.  Most of his classmates will be moving onto first grade.  In the middle of the school year we were asked if N was going to graduate with his classmates and move onto first grade (if he was Taiwanese he would automatically move up into first grade but because he is a foreigner we have a little leeway).  We weren't sure what we would do with him, so we thought about it and prayed about it and finally made the decision that he would stay in Kindergarten one more year.  He would get an extra year to be in an environment that he knows and feels comfortable with and then he has just an additional year before he starts first grade and we have to navigate through the chinese school and figure out the reading, writing and speaking all in Chinese.

N's graduation picture 

N's graduating classmates - please excuse the paint underneath the pictures it has the kid's names underneath the picture and I want to give them privacy.  N's not the only one staying another year at kindergarten there is another little girl who will be staying also.  (Her birthday is in September and she doesn't meet the cut off to go to school - N's birthday is right close to the cut off which is why if he was Taiwanese he would be going to first grade and be put in with 6 to 8 year olds - he would just be turning 6)

All the graduating students from N's kindergarten.

We have been blessed this year with Little N's school - he has caring teachers, great classmates and friends. He has been able to take pottery classes, swimming classes, English classes (his favorite class) and done all sorts of fun activities -- learned about saving the environment and learned about places in Taiwan.  We also got to travel with his classmates for a graduation trip to go to special places around Taiwan.  It's a bittersweet day today and I'm a little emotional.  I can't imagine how I'm going to be once both Little N and M start school this September and when Little N graduates from Kindergarten next year in June, I'm sure that I will have lots of tears.  Tears of joy and sadness that my kids are growing up.

 N's class and the teachers at school! 

Over here in Taiwan Kindergarten graduation is a HUGE deal.  It's almost a bigger deal then high school or college graduation.  You get pictures taken (as seen in all these pictures) and it's a big celebration.  It was a little surprising that the school offered a train ride trip instead of having a graduation ceremony.  We were so thankful that it was a train ride trip, it was such a great way to celebrate our kids and see some more of Taiwan.

 N chose the costumes that he wanted to wear for all these pictures.  He was excited to wear Mickey Mouse hands, and he was excited to be a bad guy (the soldier) and loved being a sailor, like Jake and the pirates.  I love my little guy, he's such a great little kid!