Well it’s hard to believe the school year is quickly coming to an end. We have watched our Bouncy Bears crawl, walk, and some are now even running! We’ve opened our hearts and hands to many new little ones these past few months and look forward to a busy baby-filled Fall ahead. Our Marvelous Monkeys are talking, creating, and stretching their independent wings. Our Tigers have roared their way through an adventurous year. Our Preschool Pandas have learned to write their names, have bounced like bunnies, cooked, created, and skated their way through the year. Our Afterschool Adventures celebrate their creative energy and adventurous bodies.

For all of us here at the Inn, we are excited to wrap up our second successful year. We welcomed new friends and watched them grow.  We’ve been loved, been hugged, and been blessed. It’s a bittersweet time as we send our preschoolers off to kindergarten, move our Bears to Monkeys, our Monkeys to Tigers, and our Tigers to Pandas. And just as quickly as the seasons changed, our little ones have too.

Our Pandas will be celebrating their amazing accomplishments in a complete cap and gown-style graduation. They will be singing, laughing, and sharing memories of this past year with their families. We’ll watch in amazement as our children roam the school, share their artwork, accept their “diploma”, and giggle with delight with their friends and family looking on. The children will wander their way outside laughing, playing with their friends, and running around and in true Inn style.  Our teachers will be smiling and proud of the children, realizing that another year has come and gone, and hoping that in some small way, they have made a difference.

As I walked through our classrooms today, I was reminded of those everyday miracles that remind us all why we love what we do. Today I watched a teacher bounce a giggling child on her lap, wipe another runny nose, and sing to a sleepy baby. I watched a teary child get a splinter removed followed by a big hug, a smile, and reassurance that he could pick out his own special character Band Aid. I watched a child race excitedly through the door  to share a picture of his latest artwork with a teacher who proudly hung it on the classroom wall. I watched a teacher marvel over a new pair of sandals and a blinking pair of sneakers as the other children looked on in amazement. I watched a teacher zoom across the classroom on a scooter while the children watched and giggled almost uncontrollably as she carefully wove her way around the furniture. I am honored and privileged to be able to watch, observe, and listen to so many wonderful sounds throughout just one day – let alone nine fun-filled months.

So as our year comes to the end, I sigh a bit. I know it’s time for the next adventure. Our children are older; it’s time to take the next step. Though the year ahead will be filled with more smiles, more giggles, and more silliness, just for now, just for this month, I’m going to hold on for that familiar giggle, that memorable smile, that great morning hug. I’m going to relish these past few weeks when the children were excited to be just turning five and still a Preschool Panda.

As we welcome this amazing thing called summer, I must take a moment to say thank you –  to our friends at Lake Sunapee Bank who are always ready for our impromptu visits with a smile and a sticker; to Pricilla, Gail, Michelle, and our many story-telling friends at the local library; to our friends here on the Proctor campus and to the great maintenance crew who always greet our excited little ones; to our friends at Jake’s and the ladies at Town Hall; to our truly fantastic families, and to Karyn, Stacy, Beverly, Becky, Tim, and Jessica. I’ve said this before, but it’s always worth repeating. Take the time to live in the moment, smile, giggle every day, be grateful for every moment, and know that each and every day you have made a difference. Thank you for all you do!