Another One In the Books!

I can't believe I survived this one!  (I guess I should save that... I still have to stay here for 2 more hours and 57 minutes.)  I can honestly say that I thought this would be the year to break me.  I have never shed more tears, than I have in these last nine months.  Im sitting here now, in my completely empty, barren classroom, and choking up thinking about the way things used to be.  The last day of school used to be bittersweet.  It was so hard to say goodbye to my 5th graders and send them off to Middle School, but we always had such a blast getting things wrapped up for the few hours after the kids were gone, that it made the day something to look forward to.  Things, as I may have mentioned before, have changed.  This is not fun.  It was hard to say goodbye to some of my kiddos, but it is very nice to know that I get to have most of them again this year, so that aspect of it was not too difficult.  The hard part about today is 29-fold, not all aspects are ones that I can share publicly.  I will say that having to say goodbye to one of my teammates was very unexpected and impossible to get through without more tears.  That's part of the change, people that I thought would never leave are doing just that.  In the case of this friend, it truly is what is best for her and her two adorable children.  It's just so hard to say goodbye though!  We have been friends for years, but this was the first year we had the opportunity to work together on the same grade level.  She has been so much fun and such a safe teammate to share the turmoil with.  I honestly don't know how any of us in "the group" are going to make it through next year without her.  It is very hard to be so happy for her and yet so sad for those of us she is leaving behind!  

I have a million more things to say but they just called us down for dinner!  This chick does NOT miss a meal!