End of the Day, End of the Week, End of......other stuff

Here is a lovely photo of Jillian and Ethan with their school principal (remember, he is your PAL) and the music director at Isom Elementary school. Today was the kids last day at the only school they have known.
Granted, Ethan has only been there for a year of kindergarten, which was limited days, and 3 1/2 months of first grade. Jillian is into 4th grade and very enmeshed in school activities as you would know from previous postings of her doings.
They each wrote their teachers 'thank you and farewell' notes last night before going to bed.
Ethan drew many pictures, and lots of tic-tac-toe boards (?) and was pretty matter of fact. Thanks, see ya.
Jillian used her best penmanship and wrote a thoughtful letter to her teacher and when she was finished she truly did have tears running down her cheeks. We talked a bit about how hard it can be to say goodbye, and to have big changes happening.
I went to the school a little early to pick them up and got some photos in Jillians class with her classmates.




She is standing next to her teacher and reading her goodbye letter to her class.

They each wrote her individual letters and read
them to her throughout the day.
Sweet....












Jillian and her BFF's. They have all exchanged email addresses and phone numbers.








A nice group of classmates.













And one more group photo from her class.















I caught Ethan's class as they were leaving the gym. His class never leaves the classroom at the end of the day. It's either PE, music, computer lab or library, so I didn't get much time to get more photos of his friends...
He was pretty stoic until he got to me for a hug and then got misty eyed, and told me it was hard to say goodbye to his friends....


Once we all got into the truck, Jillian and I sat and went through several tissues, before we left the school for the last time.

I wanted to pick up our spirits so we drove to Bellewood Acres, which is a wonderful apple farm just a few miles up the road. Kids each got to buy a cookie, I bought a box of Jonagold apples, some caramel to dip them in, and some honey roasted peanut butter that Lynn likes to dip them in.

Hoping to use my new small pie maker this weekend! But mostly we are helping Jeff and Krista get moved into their new house. Kids will start at their new school, in a new town, in a new school district on Monday. Instead of riding the bus, or me picking them up, they will be walkers!! That is going to be very different. Krista has Monday off, so she can walk with them, then I will go over on Tuesday.

They have been in their little old farm house renting for over 8 years. Never having any neighborhood, or nearby friends to play with. Their bikes and scooters were only used here, but we will be taking them to the new house this weekend too.

Yep, the end of something special. And the beginning of a new adventure....