The Group Shot

Before the ceremony, all the squirmy graduates lined up for the requisite group shot. The parents swarmed opposite them like a bunch of rabid paparazzi. Lola still managed a gracious smile.

The Tiles

One of the graduation rituals of Lola's school is the creation of the tiles. Each child paints a tile and it is affixed to the building to herald the vibrancy of his or her presence there for all eternity. (Or something close.) Here's Lola's little bit of colorful art.

The Big Moment

Lola was one of the first dozen children to receive her diploma which declared

that she had "learned to play with other children." Tim, the school's founder, said of Lola (and, ahem, no other child) "I will remember you forever." Her other teacher Rachelle noted her "big feelings," which she described as a puzzle to the staff, considering the mild nature of both her parents. "Where did this child come from?" they wondered. Lola's teachers mused about her far longer than most of the other kids that night. But is that any surprise?

America's Birthday

Lola and her friends the Triplets spent the Fourth of July together this year and enjoyed all the traditional Independence Day sports. We kicked it off with a wagon ride around the neighborhood.

There was competitive sprinkler running...

...water balloon tossing. Or in this case, hoarding.

The day wouldn't have been complete without a parade and watermelon....

and more sprinklers..