Flying up

Mason had his Fly up ceremony on Tuesday. It's a ceremony they have at his school in which each child gets a pin for each year they are at the school. It's not a graduation but a ceremony to signify their rise to the next level.

Mason getting his pin from the owner of the school.

The end of year gift.

We presented the teachers with their end of year gift. I had Fred draw a bare tree with a Zebra. I then met each family in the parking lot last week to get the thumbprint of each student to represent the leaves of the tree. It came out so nice. The teachers, you could tell, were overwhelmed with emotion. I'm so glad they have something they can cherish, to remember the 13 Zebras they taught in 2010-2011.

Then there was Today.

Today I walked Mason into school for the last time.

Today I watched Sophie join the Zebras for morning centers for the last time.

Today was his last day of preschool.

His last day in classroom #5.

His last day as a Zebra.

Today was the last time I picked him up from school.

The last time I would hold the sign with his name and he would run into my arms.

The last time we would say good-bye to his teachers.

The last time we would cross the street and wave to Mrs. Walker.

My last day as room mom to this wonderful group of kids.

So many times today I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. When talking to the teachers about how much fun it has been this year, how wonderful they are and how much we will miss them next year. When I was telling the zebras to have a great summer and that I would miss them and one of the twins, I think Reese, said she would miss me too. I stood their giving each one a high five (Caprice, Zohair, Prabhav, Omar) for possibly the last time ever, we don't know who will be in our class next year, and I felt sad. I felt sad because I knew I had been part of something great. Even if I didn't see it, it was apparent today that I had a special place in each of those little kids hearts and each of them a place in mine.

I will definitely miss these two wonderful women as well. The ones who took such great care with my little boy.

As if that wasn't enough to make me cry, here is a photo of Mason and Sophie on the first day of school (left) and the last (right). Ironically Sophie is in the exact same outfit but it really showcases how much they both have grown over the last year.

With that I say,

Good-bye Zebra friends

Good-bye Preschool.

HELLO JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN!!!