I Think I Might Have Overdone It

Yesterday was Gracie's last day of Kindergarten and I was so immensely excited for her (perhaps more excited than she was)!  Not only were we so proud of her successfully finishing through a tough year,  but I have also exhausted myself Pinteresting and planning "the most exciting summer ever"!  I was also super excited that we got Gracie on the last day of school....because that meant IIII got to plan something fun!  I thought this is going to be my shining moment of awesomeness! ha!

And so ensued the madness.  I came up with everything I could and spent 3 days putting the house together.  As many of you know, we can't really spend any kind of money so I had to use free resources at my disposal.   First, I decided we need to center our "celebration" around a poem, which I wrote over and over again and wound up with this:
      
       Your year in kindergarten is now through,
       and we’re so proud of you.

      You learned about reading, writing and math
      and always took your bath.
      You learned how to buy lunch
      and made friends by the bunch.

      Mrs. Supper taught you about good choices
      and how to use your voices.
      You worked hard and did your best to get a purple
      and always paid attention in reading circle.

      You worked hard in school,
      and now its time to swim in the pool,
      sing on the swing,
      have fun in the sun,
      and even eat a hot dog bun

      But first lets take a look
      at the incredible kindergarten journey you took…

       Love,
       Daddy and Stephanie

I then centered this around a wall that featured some of her finest work throughout Kindergarten.  I put up a "Congratulations Smarty Pants" Banner that I found on Five Heart Home. 

I then saw a few people who put up signs that listed what their kids accomplished so I did my own spin on it with a blackboard header that I found on Oh So Printable.    I used this as a backdrop for her last day of school photo. 

But then I felt like we needed some FUN at our celebration! So I dug out some balloons and some old streamers and strung them up, I drew outside the front door with chalk and created a "welcome to summer" run through at the front door.  I found the sign at Seven Thirty Three.  I also created a wish balloon that she could send to the sky, and hope for all of her fun summer time wishes to come true

"Summer is Done, Now its time for some FUN!"

"I am a wish balloon.  Take me outside and let me fly, I will take your wishes to the sky!"

Was this all over the top?  Probably and totally YES.  At first when we picked her up from school, she didn't seem that excited and I was like, Hello!!! It's Summer Vacation!  and Gracie was so Ho-Hum about it. I thought uh-oh.  However, when Gracie came home from school and saw everything she LOOOOVED it!  She ran through the door sign that "starts summer" and squealed with delight.  She said "Stephanie and Daddy, this made me SO happy".  She sang, danced and laughed and then proceeded to tell us about all of the work that was up on the wall.  I think she too, was so proud of herself.  And to me, that is what is the most important.