Miss Nelson is Missing, for 3 months, that is.

Gifts of Diet Coke and chocolate can only mean one thing...

It must be the last day of school!

Hillary's two teachers love this stuff, as do I.
Miss Hill and Mrs. B are pretty special.

(I can't believe that I don't have pictures of them.)

This Mrs. Neal. She is the kindergarten princess.

She is grace, beauty, and organization to the tenth power.

See the way that Little looks at her?

She casts a spell on them, you see.

This is me with my Dream Team 4th grade class of 2009-2010.

We are sitting on the steps at the State Capitol.

I had to say goodbye to them today, which is always difficult, but this year was particularly hard. They are the cream of the cream of the crop.

I always insist on first day of school pictures, but today I demanded end of year snapshots. Here is Maddi giving me her, "Seriously, Mom? I'm like, 14 now." face.

Maddi, just 80-some days away from 9th grade.
That's a Freshman in some lands.
She is one cool kid, with 28 straight A's this year.
More on that to come.
She just asked if some boys could come over
to hang out tonight with her and the girls.
Wait, I didn't get that, Boys?


Oh my goodness, look at Middle.
She is in that dreamy stage right now.
She is easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.
Could 5th grade have come and gone already?


And then there's Little.
I will spare you my lamentations about my baby not being a baby anymore, but it must be said that he won't come home until nearly 4 o'clock next year! Who will I have lunch with? Who will be my buddy?

*On a side note. There is considerable debate between Big Henry and me regarding Little's jean shorts. I say skater/surfer dude. Big says Hee-Haw with a piece of straw between the teeth. What do you think?

I've got just one more year of these two shmoopies walking to school together. I will treasure it for sure. Hillary has been a really good big sister to help Little and Sophie get to school safely. She just pleasantly does stuff like that.

Goodbye for now, school, hello Summer!