I cried at school.

I didn't mean to. I couldn't help it.

Because I got into the classroom this morning and there were all the other prep mums, because today was the day we were giving a gift to the teachers (Miss 5 has 2 classroom teachers) and many of the mums were there to show their thanks.

And as everyone was buzzing around the room I heard someone say that today was transition and that after a short while the preps would be taken to their new grade 1/2 class. It was then that I realised that this was the last time my baby girl was in prep. This was it. Her last day as a preppie.

And she asked me to take a photo on my phone, which I gladly did, and she looked just beautiful as she always does. Listening to one of the other mums making a little speech before handing over the cards, which had been signed by nearly all of us, and the gifts it was evident that she was holding back the tears, an effort which eventually failed as she reached for the tissues. This very act prompted many more of us to follow suit as inadvertent floods of emotion made their way to the surface.

And then it dawned on me. All the preps were there. As were the teachers. And Miss 5 was not at the school when they had done class photos because we had not yet moved.

So I asked the teachers if they would mind if I took a photo of Miss 5 with her class all together. And the didn't. So now I also have a beautiful memento of my baby's classmates in her first year at school.

And as I walked out the door, waving through the window as Miss 5 followed my path outside only inside, blowing me kisses and waving as I did the same, I realised that I was far more emotional than I had ever thought I would become in these circumstances. Granted, I hadn't actually ever thought about the "last" day of prep. It is usually the first day or the first time doing something that gets the rap for being an emotion drawer. But this last day, this last day of my baby being the baby of the school, well, it was overwhelming. And the words said by the teachers, and the beautiful things they do, well, it all works together to add to the emotion.

I got in the car and began to drive to work, still feeling that lump in my throat. And I thought back to all the things Miss 5 had done to date, and then started thinking about the same with Miss 4 and Master 3 and before I knew it I was at work, and still felt emotional.

It lasted all day.

And then tonight she had a play date with a little girl from school who is not in her class this year, but whose brother goes to the same daycare as my two, and who we see on a fairly regular basis "in passing". So the play date was arranged before actually realising that Miss 5 and this little girl will in fact be in the same class next year.

Perfect. I love that.

And so in celebration of the day I took the kids to see the colonel. I had a voucher on a shop a docket, we hit the drive thru, and as they gave me the food I realised something.

They had given me vouchers.

What a fabulous day all round. Emotional. But fabulous.