Bitter Sweet…Memories…

This week is just full of tears.  It’s the last week of school and I’ve been looking back over the year. 
Kayla will be a 7th grader next year.  She has exceeded my expectations this year.  A/B honor roll all year.  Honor Society acceptance. GTT, top of her class {it’s an engineering class}. She got accepted into GTT 2 and Journalism for next year, which includes the year book staff.  She is on a roll and I couldn’t be any more happy for her.  She said she is working her way towards scholarships to get into a university.  She wants to go to the University of Alabama.  Thanks to my brothers family for instilling the love of the Tide. ;-) I would have preferred her to be a Gator, but whatever makes her happy!
Kelsie graduates Kindergarten tomorrow.  She has grown so much this year alone.  Looking at her now, I no longer see my baby.  She’s officially a big girl.  She reads and writes.  I love reading what she has wrote.  Reading her words that she has sounded out brings tears to my eyes.  I can see her growing up right before me and there is nothing that I can do.  She is so excited about first grade!  However, she is heart broken, just as last year when she realized that the teacher wouldn’t be the same. 
I realized the other night that this is our last Kindergarten graduation.  We are finished having kids.  And it saddens me to imagine this is our “lasts”.  So I am holding on as long as I can and cherishing each moment down to the last drop.
It’s even sad for me in our Pre-K class.  I have watched them grow this year SO much.  I love seeing how they’ve learned to write their name and draw pictures that are finally understood.  And their hugs and their calling of my name as if I’ve been gone for a month, when in reality I had only walked out of the room for less than 5 minutes.  They are all so precious.  I was getting teary eyed as they cleaned their tables yesterday.  They are no longer littered with tape strips and name tags.  The word wall no longer carries the names of the boys and girls in the class and the cubbies are nameless.  We are getting ready for a whole new batch of little boys and girls for next year.  I am hoping that I don’t break down during their graduation ceremony on Friday! I picked up a couple of little things to give each of them.  I am really so proud of them!
Here’s to the end of Kindergarten, 6th grade and my first year in Pre-K!