The Graduate

Today was Miss Gracie's Pre-School Graduation. It was quite bittersweet for me. On one hand, I'm so proud of the little girl she is growing to be... She's a baby no longer! She has always been different from the other two, but as she grows, I am really liking the person that she is becoming. She definitely has a mind of her own, but in many ways, that's a good thing... With her, I never doubt that she will grow into a strong, independent woman. She will always do her own thing, and I doubt that she will ever be pushed into something she wasn't ready for! Today was a big milestone... next year I will no longer have a pre-school aged child... that's a big one! I have had at least one pre-schooler for the past ELEVEN YEARS. Next year they will all be up on the hill at the "big school". In some ways, I am SO happy about that, but in other ways, I am so sad to see these years come to an end. It's just all TOO FAST! If somebody could just SLOW IT DOWN, ALREADY, I'd be a lot happier.

But, time waits for no one, so today my baby isn't a baby any more. I cried A LOT at graduation today (mostly because they INSIST on playing this ridiculously sad song at graduation... it's called "Let Them Be Little", and it gets me every time I hear it.)

I am ridiculously proud of my baby girl. She has grown up so much, and I love her more than words can say.

Here are "the girls" before graduation...
And here is Grace with her Daddy after graduation. (Even though he was on call this weekend, he still got to come to graduation! Yay Daddy!!!)
And here is the graduate with her proud Mother. (Notice the puffy eyes... I had already wept like a baby by this time!)
And here is our little graduate, ready to face the future. High School Senior in the year of 2023.
Look out, kindergarten, here she comes!!! :-)