Do Svidaniya Detsky Sad

Lydia still has a few more weeks of "detsky sad" (Russian kindergarten) left, but a couple of weeks ago, she had her "graduation" program.  The kids in her group all sang, "Do Svidaniya Detsky Sad!" They are all 7 years old or almost 7 now, and in September they will start the first class.  Lydia, however, will start at the International Academy, where Aaron teaches, and she will be in 2nd grade.  Hopefully the 1st grade homeschooling we have done in the afternoons will have her well prepared.  I know that at least her reading will be OK; she has become a voracious reader.  She has read all the Boxcar Children and Little House books we could get our hands on, and now she is reading Hardy Boys.

Here's the video of her program.  It's a little long, but the best parts are the dances at around 3:40 and 11:00.  So cute!

After the program, they had a little feast set up for the kids and parents.

Here's Lydia with her music teacher, who must be amazing, to get all these little kids to learn so many songs and dance steps.

And with the director of the detsky sad and her teachers.

Lydia will miss all her little friends at detsky sad, but she is excited to go to IA next year and be a big girl!

We also celebrated Easter here on May 5th.  The Russian Easter is usually on a different day than in the West, but this year it was almost a month later!

We colored some eggs and had a little egg hunt in our living room on Easter morning.

Here's Elliot with his ball Easter egg.  He is a little obsessed with balls right now, and one of the eggs got a few cracks in it, because he wanted it to be a ball.  :)
 

In other news, it is really feeling and looking like spring here.  It always feels so good after the long winter.  Lots of new little green leaves and playing in the park!  They even turned the heating off in the homes, and we're not too cold inside.

AND, only about 3 weeks until we land in the USA!  We're SO looking forward to spending June and July there, and having time with grandparents!  (And Lydia says, "And running in the green grass barefoot!"  I agree!)