Crying my eyes out

My baby graduated from primary school yesterday. It was waaaaaaaay more emotional than I thought it would be.

Admittedly I am a bit held together with chewing gum and string from Big Year Syndrome, but whoa did I sob.

I left work early to get her a haircut – first in two years – and some braiding at a local hair salon. Braiding is not my strength. I am very not good with hair, so I figured it was best left to the professionals.

Then we went home so I could madly tap out a story for work while she dressed up.

She looked totally, completely wonderful. (But she sent me a text on her way home from graduation saying the school said they were forbidden to put any photos on social media, so I’m just putting up a snap of the rear view of her braids. I hope that’s OK.)

Anyways, back to the start of the night. It was bedlam, madness and various other insane things outside the school hall as the kids waited to go in for dinner and dancing and all that jazz.

The mums had done a brilliant job of decorating the hall in a Hawaiian theme. It looked awesome when I snuck a look through the side door.

We took loads of selfies with various friends and family members and teachers. The kids were so excited.

The youngest has been lucky enough to have the most fabulous teacher this year who has loved her and nurtured her and given her the best possible end to primary school a kid could hope to have.

I thanked Mrs C profusely. Then I spotted the youngest’s year two – and then year four – teacher in the crowd. I don’t know if you remember, but Mrs L lost her husband to cancer earlier this year and the youngest insisted on going to the funeral.

Anyway, Mrs L thanked ME last night and said how much it swelled her heart to see some of her favourite students there on such a sad day. I gave her a big hug and ooooh, that was about the time the tears started flowing.

I pulled myself together to go to the insanely crowded parent celebration at the local pub while the kids had their kid thing. It was hot and intense and I had to go and sit in the entry hall for a bit to catch my breath.

Then we walked back to the school hall and each kid had their kindy and year 6 photos displayed on the big screen. Naaaaawwwwww. After that the youngest handed me a thank you letter for being her mum and I had a good old blub in the middle of the hall because it was so beautiful.

It ended with the words: “I know we will always be as close as we are now.”

I hope so!

Then we danced together to YMCA and her dad took her back to his place for the night and I proceeded to sob all the way back to my place … and for quite a while after that.

I was a MESS.

Song of the day: Roy Orbison “Crying”