Been Waiting All My Life For This!

On June 10th Sinobia graduated from 5th grade at Dawes Elementary School.  This was more than just a graduation for Sinobia, this marked the day that we would depart from Dawes after 11 years!  I started crying before we even left home...11 years of love and nurturing for our whole family.  Dawes is and always will be a safe place for our children.  I went to work every day, knowing that there was a team of faculty and teachers that would do all that they could to take good care of my children, and for 11 years, that is what they did.  Dawes has held our hands, collaborated and joined forces with us in raising two beautiful,

smart and independent girls.  Dawes has prepared them for the world outside of elementary school.  They are risk takers, individuals, good friends, active in their community and ready to take on the world!

Most of my tears were for the mourning of my little girl, who isn't a little girl anymore. She's officially a Middle School Girl!  Sinobia was proud and confident all day during graduation.  I asked her later that day if she felt at all sad during the ceremony.  "No way mom...I'm ready for middle school.  It's time for me to leave Dawes, I've been waiting all of my life for this!"  Yes, she has been waiting for this moment all of her life, as she has spent all 11 years of her life at Dawes either as a student or as the little sister of a student. 

Sinobia graduated in classic "Sinobia Style".  She refused to wear a dress and insisted on accepting her certificate in one of her famous tutus!  For 2 or 3 weeks she fought with Eric about the appropriateness of a tutu for graduation...as you can see she won!  Eric had no legitimate argument.  Everyone he tried to engage in the tutu discussion simply told him to let Sinobia be her true self on her big day, thus a grand sugar skull tutu!  Sinobia did compromise and made Eric happy by giving up her insistence to wear her knee-high all star gym shoes, and settled for cute little purple flats. 

Also in "Sinobia Style" was her entourage.  Eric, Myself, Grandma, Grandpa, Nana from Louisiana, Uncle Earl, Auntie Nikki, Uncle Kenny, Auntie Stephanie, Auntie Rachel, Ashley, Terena and KJ.  Gabby had finals on this day, so she sadly had to miss Sinobia's big day.

So, my tears have dried, summer camp has started and Nana has returned home.  Now we are off to Chute Middle School in August!

Congratulations Sinobia!