Teachers let the monkeys out!

Today was the last day of school for my kids, which means Courtney is now officially a highschooler (*gulp*), Darren is in eighth grade, Madelaine is in 4th grade and my baby just graduated from kindergarten (*sob, choke*).

I fully expected to have a mini breakdown during the ceremony...as I usually do with these sorts of things...especially since this was my last one... my BABY. But I didn't do too bad. I only lost it a little bit when the teacher started bawling and then again when I went back to the classroom to pick Amelia up and take her home. By the time I got to the room Amelia was the one in full-blown-melt-down mode and it got to me a little bit. She was sobbing because, "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE KINDERGARTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNN!!!!!!" lol This is so ironic because at the beginning of the year I had to work daily with her teacher to find a way to get her not to cry because she was scared to death of school. She had major separation anxiety and it took alot of work and rewards to get her to relax. Now she doesn't want to leave! lol She is definitely her mothers daughter in almost every way...from how bashful she can be to how emotional and sentimental she is. She worked very hard this year and has made huge strides in alot of areas of struggle thanks in large part to her wonderful teachers. Above is a picture of Mrs. Yingling giving her a goodbye hug. This is a moment that not only I, but Amelia will remember forever because this year was her starting point and the goodbye was emotional. This formed the base for all of her future learning. And every special teacher that comes after this will build on that base and add their own piece to her puzzle as they invest themselves in the betterment of my child.
To my friend Rachel and all of the other wonderful teachers out there... Thank you so much for the time, energy and love that you invest in not only my children, but every child that is entrusted to you. You do make a difference and you do matter. We couldn't do this without you! Aside from parenting, you have the single most important job there is and my heartfelt gratitude flows out to you.