I've had a sore throat for a week and a half now, but it's not strep, so I'm happy.

Today was the last "real" day of school. That also makes me happy.

Tonight we had graduation, and I almost cried a couple of times, and my students were great, and several of the parents cried, and one of them told me I was "a remarkable woman," and that makes me happy too.

Later tonight when I was unwrapping the gifts the families had given me, I put a CD on that had been part of one of the gifts, and as I was reading the cards this family wrote me, I just burst into tears, sobbing away.... I'm going to really miss this group. There were some pretty special kids in this group, and I really do love them. And I'm really going to miss their parents. I think this group more than any other, I had close relationships with the parents. I mean, not that they didn't all (kids and parents) drive me nuts sometimes, but I'm sure I drove them nuts sometimes too, and when it comes right down to it, they mean a lot to me.

There are two sets of parents (well, of the non-staff ones; I'll see the staff all the time, of course) that I am determined to stay in touch with, because I've really become friends with them. I will enjoy being able to relax with them in a new way, and to develop a deeper, non-teacher/parent relationship with... I really hope it happens, because these are people I don't want to lose from my life.

Okay, I'm tearing up again, so I think it's time for me to go to bed. I'm leaving for the Father's Day B-grass festival tomorrow, so I'll be out of e-contact for a while, probably until Monday. If anyone needs to reach me for any reason, call my cell, and I'll get back to you within a day or so. ;-)