Last Sunday

I mentioned in the last blog entry that last Friday was my last day at school. It was really rough. I told my kids the Wednesday before that I was leaving. I was dreading telling them. I sat them all down on the floor to read them a book. Usually I sit in a chair in front on them but this time I decided to plop down on the floor with them. I read them the book, "The Kissing Hand."

It is a precious book about a raccoon who is scare about going to school for the first time and his mom explains to him that sometimes we have to do things that are new and scary. The mom kisses her son's palm and tells him that when he is lonely or scared during the day he can hold his hand to his face and think of her. Well in the end the mom is just as sad and scared as the son and he kisses her hand as well so she can think of him. I had them share with me some scary things they've had to do in their life and then I shared my scary thing. They were just so surprised and really didn't know what to think. One of them said, "Mrs. Graves, I am just so shocked!"

Anyway, I have a sign hanging by the door of our classroom and it says, "Don't forget your hug!". I make them all give me hugs as the walk out the door everyday. I reminded them about the hugs that I give them and told them that if they get sad they can think of that and know that I am missing their sweet hugs!!

The last day was the hardest though. I had a couple of girls that would just not stop crying. I have 3 girls, (teacher #2, teacher #3 and teacher #4) and I think on Friday they were just kind of mad at me and I totally understand that. I tried to explain to them what "bitter, sweet" meant. I made them tell the reasons I was sad to leave. Then I asked them why I was happy to leave. One boy raise his hand and reluctantly said, "You get to see Lynlee more." They understand why we are leaving but they don't like it!

But my sweet staff surprise me with this adorable cake and a very generous goodbye gift.

(My classroom is decorated in ladybugs.)

Today is our last Sunday at church. Tonight is our going away party. This morning without warning, they brought us up to the front to pray for us and I couldn't stop crying (with not a single Kleenex in sight), I felt a little ridiculous and several people scolded me for making them cry! We are so blessed to have had such a great first job and we are truly sad to leave them!