Kindergarten Graduation, Take One

Ben graduated from kindergarten yesterday. No one told me to bring a huge box of Klee-nex.

He and his classmates sang "Rainbow Connection." Back in the day, I thought that Kermit the Frog did a good job of tugging at the heartstrings; little did I know a group of kindergartners could perform this Sesame Street classic with such sweetness. They completed the performance with the "Make New Friends But Keep the Old."

I found myself in reflection all day yesterday after the graduation. Perhaps it was because Ben's dad whisked him away after the ceremony for a long camping trip. Ben will be away for nine days and I was already missing him. Perhaps I realized, with some trepidation, that my baby boy is growing so quickly and I'm not doing a great job of drinking in these final months of little boy innocence. I know that sharing Ben with his dad is extremely hard on me right now. I'm feeling the void of him not being here much more profoundly and deeply lately.

Thankfully, I will have another year to let myself be enveloped by the simplicity of kindergarten as Ben is repeating it next year, due to his late birthday. I am reminding myself of how lucky I am to be able to experience this grade full of goodness (less the Sistine Chapel building project!) again. And another graduation, too. In the meantime, here are some pictures from my proud morning:

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions,
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide

So we've been told and some choose to believe it
Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me...

Make new friends

But keep the old...(even if the "old" defects to the "other" school!)

Congratulations, Ben! Your mommy thinks the world of you