May Day!

Today was a huge day at school for one of my girls ... May Day. It's a big rite of passage for the 3rd graders, something they look forward to for years. The girls wear floral wreaths in their hair, the boys wear a coat and tie, and the entire Lower School gathers to sing songs for the May Day concert ... naturally, my 3rd grader chose pink polka dots with pink patent ballet flats:

... and as if the outfit wasn't sweet enough, I later got to watch her sing her little heart out at the concert, followed by the big event: the May Pole dance. Adorable. Imagine a cheerful folk tune accompanied by lots of rhythmic audience clapping ... then imagine a bunch of 8 and 9 years olds skipping around the maypole in opposing circles while weaving in and out of one another's path - all the while raising and lowering their own special sash attached to the top of the pole. So sweet ...

Afterwards, the woven pattern at the top of the pole was perfection - previous years haven't always been as lucky - my daughter was thrilled:

My heart bursts just thinking of it - the music, the cheers, the proud look on her face, the shine in her eyes ... not sure if it's a mom-pride thing kicking in ... or maybe I'm just a sucker for traditions, but it really was a very special day - I'm the luckiest of ladybugs today!