Graduated

Remember Sammie B's first day of "school?"

Here she was, all dressed and ready to go for Day 1, back in November (and thinking "why in the world did my mama wake me up so early?"):



It has been 10 months, and she's just thrived there. Friday, she graduated, and we were so, so, so sad. But, also feeling so very blessed to have had such a wonderful program for her, with such amazing, loving people that cared so deeply for her. And the benefits - to her - have been huge.

Graduation was a fun, but bittersweet day. We woke up early (to have time for pictures) and our whole crew (Sammie B, B, me, + 3 of the 4 grandparents) headed out the door to school.

She donned a party dress and a huge smile for the occasion:



While the kiddos were outside, we set up the room for a graduation party (Winnie-the-Pooh themed with brownies, both Sammie B's request). After singing "Happy Birthday" and enjoying brownies, they played a slide show of pictures of Sammie B over her time there . . . complete with really sappy music in the background (sob much?!) and then we did closing circle, just as we've done at the end of school three days a week for the last ten months. Only this time, singing "This is the way we say bye-bye," had a deeper meaning, and brought lots of tears.

We've been talking to Sammie B about how now that she's three, she'll go to a new school with other three-year-olds and we explained what the graduation party meant, but I wonder if she's missing her teachers? She had just fallen so in love with all of them, and looked forward to school so much . . . and my hope is she will feel the same about her new school and her new teachers. These last ten months have just flown by.

As one chapter closes, others will open, I know. But its always heartwrenching to have such a wonderful chapter close . . .