oh the places you'll go beautiful girl {2016}

This past year Everly has totally blossomed at preschool. The little lady who was once a bit of a mummy's girl, and who I always imagined would be peeled off of me crying at the door, and would take an age to settle, has surprised us in so many ways over the past year. And the past year has really seen you leave any semblance of toddlerhood behind; last year as you started this journey you still seemed so small, still firmly in the baby camp. But the big girl that stands before us these days is so long, so mature; could so easily pass for a school girl already.

Last September she was so confident, so happy and excited to start at preschool and I couldn't have been more proud. Over the coming weeks one-by-one the ladies at preschool would catch me to say how different she is to her brother (I had warned them but they clearly didn't believe me) but also what an utter delight she is to have in the setting; which just made me proud all over again. She took to it like a duck to water and I was so happy and relieved.

The choice to send her to preschool was a tough one, because she went a year earlier than her big bro had. But it just felt like the right thing for her, and it absolutely was. It gave her something that is totally her own, some much needed continuity when Quinn was born, and it's transformed a little girl who could be shy in new situations into a total social butterfly. 

I'm thrilled she gets another year at preschool, not least because she only missed school this September by a matter of weeks. But I think she'll love a year to build on what she learnt last year, to gain more confidence for school, to make even more friends. I have no doubt that by next year, she'll be ready to make the big step to starting big school... I just need to work on getting myself to a place where I feel ready for that to happen!

It became a source of great entertainment last year, that she had made sooo many friends. The walk to drop her brother off at school in the morning is constantly punctuated with "hellos" to all her little preschool friends who are also dropping off their older siblings. Sadly a lot of those friends are starting school themselves this autumn, and I do think we are going to have a bit of settling in period again this year, as she realises all her besties aren't at preschool anymore.

But as the day dawned to head back to preschool, she couldn't have been more excited. She trotted happily up to the door to collect her flower to self register, and she was really impatient waiting outside to be let in. I thought she'd begin looking around for her friends and was worried it would dawn on her that they weren't there, but she happily instigated a little game with some of the other younger children. And when the doors opened she ran to give me a kiss before happily running in without so much as a backward glance. When I peered in the window a minute or two later I could see her happily exploring and saying hello to all the preschool teachers. And when she came bounding out at lunchtime she told me straight away what a lovely morning she had.

This year is a special one. An end of an era one. In the coming months we will apply for her school place, and this time next year she will be off on a big school adventure. But thats a year away, and there is a lot of fun to fit in that time.

You make us so proud gorgeous girl; our wild, imaginative, caring and crazy little miss.

Never be anything less that you.

Because you are simply amazing!

I decided to do a little back to school interview just before the holidays finished. I thought it would be nice to ask these same questions each year and see how the answers change over time. So here is 2016's...