Introducing...

....our newest Kindergarten graduate:

Mallory "graduated" from kindergarten on June 16.

She was so happy & excited.

She was ecstatic over the balloon bouquet I brought her:

And happily posed while I took pictures of her with some of her friends:

When it hit her that she wouldn't see them everyday for 3 months, she gave everyone a tearful goodbye hug:

After those festivites, I ran over to Mariah's classroom. I had bought her and Arissa a balloon too (for a "happy last day of school!" gift, since I was buying some for Mallory), but Mariah's popped as I was getting out of the car. Luckily, I had also gotten her a new pack of sparkly headbands (she's into headbands at the moment) so I gave her those instead & she was happy.

I also wanted to take a few pictures since I was there. She obliged me, but really just wanted to get back to the party (and snacks) her class was having:

I love this next kid. He's so sweet and happy and even though he hardly knows me, he'll run up to me and say hi and start telling me stories. His name is "Kirk" but Mariah doesn't pronounce her 'r's so it comes out sounding like "kuhk". :o) It always makes me smile when she says it.

When she first told me his name, it took 20 minutes of back-and-forth before I understood what she was saying.

"Me and Kuhk were playing..."

"You and who?"

"Me and Kuhk."

"Cook?"

"KUHK."

"Cut?"

"KUHK!"

"Kurt?"

"KUHK!!"

"Ohhh.....Kirk! Got it."

:o)

I went over to Arissa's room too, to take pics and bring her the balloon I bought her. But while the rest of the school was partying, her class was reciting their oral reports and doing schoolwork. The classroom was so somber, I couldn't even go inside. I found a random kid lurking in the halls and he took the balloon in to her. :o)

And I promised her we'd have our own end-of-year party to celebrate.