{King of Preschool Dinner Party}

The time has come. My little boy is headed back to preschool for another year. He goes at the local high school (hence the later start date) and though the program is led by an adult woman hired by the district, the lesson plans, activities and trips are created by the students. They have to be juniors or seniors with an interest in going in to early childhood education to qualify for the program and they also have to have a good grade point averages as well as maintain their grades to qualify. (This is all what I've been told by the woman who runs the program anyway.) It's competitive, to say the least. And Dean loves it. And I love it. We all remember being teenage girls, right? They adore the kids and spoil them rotten. Each child gets their own teacher, so it is one-on-one. Obviously not the way real school will work so perhaps the transition will be tricky for Dean in Kindergarten, but he is over the moon for this setup now. The way those girls light up when they see the kids is just how every mommy hopes teachers will treat their children while they are away. I'm so excited for Dean and know he'll have another great year.

I can't believe how big he's getting. (sob)

Anyway, we had a little family dinner last year before his first day and it was so much fun we're making it a tradition. Since Dean is the only off-to-schooler this year, he got to make all the decisions by himself. What to eat? Sushi. (Can you believe he loves sushi? I love this kid!) For dessert? Cupcakes. (Which, yes, I store-bought because I knew I'd be busy making sushi. Plus, I can't even come close to the deliciousness of that thick, brightly-colored frosting you get on store-bought cupcakes. Mmmmm.) And Ava chose the fruit by having a fit - naturally - when I strolled past it, so we bought that too. Deano even picked out the colors and accessories for his crown.

And following dinner he received a Father's Blessing to wish him well at his new year of preschool. The perfect ending to a perfect family dinner party.