Lili was very excited. Tonight was the night of her kindergarten graduation, and her parents would be driving her and her siblings to the kindergarten building very soon. She was wearing her white polyester dress that Paula had worn to her own kindergarten graduation two years ago. Cindy had made it especially for the occasion. Normally, Lili disliked wearing the scratchy polyester, but she didn't mind it tonight.
"You look so nice!" Ginny told her daughter. "Let me get your hair just right, and then we'll leave."
Lili's blonde hair had been cut short, so all it needed was a quick comb through, with just a little touch of hair spray to help keep it in place. Paula wore a red dress with puffy sleeves, and little Benny wore beige shorts with a light blue shirt.
"If we leave now, we can get a good seat," Ginny said to Matthias.
The family traveled the short distance to the kindergarten building. They entered it, and Ginny led Lili to her homeroom while Matthias walked into the cafeteria with Paula and Benny. The tables and small chairs had been removed, to be replaced by adult-sized chairs in rows. Paula and Benny quickly found their grandparents and ran to join them.
"Grandma! Grandpa!" they shouted, climbing into Ben and Cindy's laps.
Meanwhile, Lili joined her classmates and teacher. Several children were already there. The others trickled in by twos and threes, milling about and giggling nervously until Miss Rinas clapped her hands for attention, then lined the class up to march them into the auditorium.
She led them up onto the stage and got them into position, and when everything was ready, the curtains fell open and the students were facing the audience. Lili looked hard until she saw her parents and brother and sister, sitting with her grandparents.
Miss Rinas said a few words welcoming the audience to the ceremony, and then the students sang 'If You're Happy and You Know It'. Then Miss Rinas read a poem celebrating the class's accomplishments for the year, and then, it was finally time for Carrie to recite 'I'm A Little Teapot.'
Lili watched as her classmate put her hand on her hip to represent the handle, then her other hand beside her shoulder as the spout. On the last line, she tipped over to represent the tea being poured out. Lili and the other students, along with the audience, applauded as Carrie bowed at the end. Lili knew her classmate had practiced the performance many times and was glad she didn't make a mistake.
Lastly, Miss Rinas passed out the diplomas, and then the ceremony was over. The children went down the stairs and into the hallway, then entered the cafeteria to be reunited with their families. All the adults hugged and kissed Lili, then went to their respective cars, planning to meet up at Whataburger.
It was already dark by the time the families parked side by side in the Whataburger parking lot. They went inside, and the adults placed the orders while the children, full of energy and ready to let off some steam, ran around. The adults knew it was a special night for them so didn't scold them too much.
When the food arrived, the families sat together in adjoining booths. Lili was too excited to eat very much. She finished most of her hamburger and about half her fries. Ginny said she could have a strawberry malt anyway.
"I'm gonna be going to school with you next year," she said to Paula as they were riding home.
"Yeah." Paula sounded less than thrilled.
"What's first grade like?" asked Lili.
"A lot more work than kindergarten, and you don't get to play as much."
"But still I get to go to school with the big kids," said Lili.
"Big kids! Big kids!" sang Benny.
Since she'd already taken a shower before the ceremony, all Lili had to do when she got home was put on her pajamas and go to bed. Ginny read the children a bedtime story, then tucked them all in.
As Lili drifted off to sleep that night, she knew she'd miss her friends and the fun she'd had in kindergarten, but she looked forward to splashing in the pool, fishing and camping trips, and more summer fun with her family and friends.