Indulgent Strawberries for the Overindulgent

Annalise is finishing kindergarten next week. Well, I say finishing, but the school she goes to says graduating. This forces me to ask: Who are the overindulgent mothers (or should I say overindulged mothers) who thought it would be cute to see their children in cap and gown, receiving their diplomas?

"Diplomas?", you ask.

"Yes; that's right. That is what they called the rolled up pieces of paper."

Before you think I am a heartless mother, who isn't proud of her daughter, I must state that I am very proud of Annalise. She has worked very hard this year. She has learned to read and write; do basic mathematics; maneuver through the mind games of other children; learn to sit still in a desk for long periods of time; learn to listen well to her teachers; and one of the most empowering things of all, she calls herself a scientist. These are fantastic skills and lessons learned this past year. So much growth.

But graduation? It certainly is finishing something. I finished kindergarten and was pleased and excited to go to the first grade. It was an expected accomplishment. I didn't need a huge party.

This whole idea of kindergarten graduation reminds me of high school students, boyfriend and girlfriend, celebrating their one-month anniversary, two-month anniversary, and so on. Why do they do this? I speculate: who knows if they will make it to a full year, or beyond; their expectations are not concrete, bringing on insecurity. It is for this underlying thought, that I speculate, is the reason for their celebrating short increments of time.

So why are we celebrating kindergarten graduation? Are we worried they aren't going on? Are we going to start celebrating every grade with a "diploma" and ceremony? Do we need to bookend grade school education with two graduations, one on each end?

Sure, it is great to be pleased and proud and excited for your child going from one grade to the next. I just see the preschool and kindergarten graduations as silly and overindulgent to all. Why can't we have an end-of-the-year party without calling it a graduation?

Well. End of my rant. (If you made it this far, I'm impressed.)

It was a fun night. Even if I think it's silly. Annalise looked beautiful and pleased. She had fun with a few of her friends and Madeline enjoyed herself as well.

The parents were asked to bring finger food. I thought instantly of this recipe/idea I saw in Martha Stewart Living. Strawberries with a cream cheese filling, topped with sliced almonds.

I tried them out this past weekend when we went to our friends' home for dinner. They turned out quick and easy enough to make and tasty enough to eat. Big bonus: they're so pretty.

I prepared a little over two dozen. When I got to the table, they were all gone. I'm not the only one who likes them.