Top 5 Reasons I LOVE My Library

1. Hello- its a library! There are BOOKS EVERYWHERE! Does that even need more of an explanation? Signing up was easy and FREE!

2. CD's, DVD's, Audiobooks...Ah music to my ears. They've got all the "older" movies that I never think about until I walk past them and usually some of the new movies that I wasn't interested in watching in the theater. The collection of movies is ginormous (considering we live in a relatively small town) it takes up two entire walls! And the CDs! They've got bible songs, Disney classics, Country, Alternative, Rock, Rap, everything. Last night Lucas, Caitlin and I put on a "Disney Classics" CD and did "Yoga" in the man cave. Plus Caitlin and I have been annoying Ryan constantly listening to the Kids Bible Songs CD that we borrowed last week.

3.Kids Room. They have an entire wing dedicated to children. It has a huge "area rug" with bean bags, rocking chairs-adult and kid sized, a puppet show center, computers with kid games and internet access, books for all levels of readers. Plus some really amazing youth librarians!

4.Cultural passes. We're a suburb of Portland so we have access to a lot of really amazing parks, museums etc, but they cost a lot of money to visit. So our library offers free access passes! Ryan and I have a date scheduled to visit the Portland Classical Chinese Garden just because we (I) walked into the library when we first moved to Wilsonville and signed up for a free library card. We also have access to; Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion and Portland Children's Museum.

5.Mango Languages. Our library used to have a subscription to Rosetta Stone but the cost of renewal was prohibitive. Then recently they posted to a sign saying now we can explore other languages using Mango. You just need a library card to sign in. This is such a beautiful thing to me because I fully intend for Caitlin to get into the Spanish Immersion program through the public school so it would probably be a good idea for me to have more than a high school level education in the language. Now I can take the online courses for free!!! Yay! That is my kind of price.

I utilize our library all the time for so many of the services that it offers so I decided it deserved a post of its own. If you're one of the people who don't use your local library-what's stopping you? Even if you don't live within city limits and would have to pay for a library card, you can still use the library's many free services. Go in on sometime to do research on a subject you've always had interest in, take your kid(s) to story hour, find opportunities to volunteer, relax, find peace, enjoy a new book or better yet a favorite book, read to your child and share the love. The feeling that I have upon entering a library is on par with the feeling that I have when I meet God at the Altar Rail. Its peaceful, happy, secure. I love it.

Caitlin is a Graduate

Last Wednesday Caitlin "graduated" from preschool. I almost cried watching the kids proceed into the classroom, recite their very well rehearsed poems and a present a "play" demonstrating how they learned the water cycle. I was so proud of all of the kids, especially Caitlin! She's usually so shy and reserved that she won't speak or perform in front of a crowd-at her dance recital I had to bribe her just to go out on stage- but she did without hesitation this time! She's really learned a lot this year and grown so much. She's all registered to go on to the public school in the fall and is the number one girl on the waiting list to get into the Spanish immersion program. I can't believe how quickly she's growing up! Here are some photos that my mom took at the Graduation Ceremony, I haven't even taken my photos off the memory card yet!

The class as a "Garden of Knowledge".... Her class really grew over the course of the year. It started in September with only 5 kids, all girls and by June there were 6 girls and 5 boys graduating! One of the girls was unable to attend the graduation ceremony because her parents took her to Fiji instead. What a rough life!

The kids were "flowers" and they recited a little poem about how they grew and learned over the course of this last year in preschool to bloom into true Kindergartner's! Very adorable.

The kids in red gowns are the preschool graduates and the two girls in blue were "kindergarten" graduates heading straight into first grade in the fall.

Miss Tammy and Caitlin. Miss Tammy was Caitlin's "4's" teacher.

Miss Angela, the school director, passing out Caitlin's diploma!

Caitlin and Maci. The preschool graduates. Maci is a sweet girl with special needs that Caitlin befriended over the last two years. A lot of the kids get frustrated with Maci, because she is different, but not my compassionate Caitie! She took Maci under her little motherly wing and plays with her all the time and helps her when she's stuck or feeling frustrated. Maci is really helping to teach Caitlin about treating everyone equally. She is a smart little girl, who just has a hard time expressing herself sometimes!

Caitlin with her "Kindergarten Graduate" friend Maddie. Maddie and Caitlin have become very close in the last couple of years, so it'll be a bit of a transition for both of them to go to different classrooms next year.

Gioia Cousin and Caitlin. We were very happy to have Grammie Maggie, Tia Kim, Gioia and Ian, and Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Claude all come to witness this momentous occasion in Caitlin's life. Ian was absolutely enthralled with all of the new toys and not the least bit interested in Caitlin, pictures or her graduation. We're still glad he came though.

Taking a moment to revel in the glory that is being a graduate:)