images of the last day of school

re-reading my images of the first day of school made me realize how far we'd come since last july.

still, it was quite a day in its own right.

Small scenes of the day:

~dressed up children nervously clutching gift bags for teachers.
~the dramatic crying from high-school-musical diva throughout all of morning meeting. head in hands, body shaking, head occasionally rising to reveal absolutely no tears.
~giddy excitement and nervous energy as kids signed one another's memory books.
~kids covered in white shaving cream from cleaning desks.
~children coloring on one another's clothing, as though rules for the last day of school are totally different than the day before.
~teachers reminding children that the rules for today are exactly the same as they were yesterday.
~the strong smell of different cleaning solutions drifting into the hallway.
~quick mini-lesson on how to draw the pigeon, resulting in a fight over pigeon books that caused me to walk the books into the hallway and hand them to the nearest first grade teacher who said, "you can read it next year!"
~time-filler games, read-alouds, favorite songs sung, slide shows watched.
~introducing a third grader and my kindergartner who will be at the same school next year.
~trying not to tear up as i put my buddies on the bus knowing i'll most likely never see them again.
~all of the teachers waving goodbye to the buses and cars driving away from the school.

~the large margarita at happy hour.

it doesn't seem like it can possibly be over yet.