**Sickness took over my brain last night and I flat forgot to post this. Sorry!!! **
The Girl’s last day of school is today. This was her first year of preschool (well half year I suppose since she didn’t start until January). And there is part of me that cannot believe how big she is. In two short years, she will be in Kindergarten. That is amazed to look at the growth chart in her classroom and see how much she has grown in five months. And she’s continuing to take on her father’s body type by getting so much taller but actually weighing less than she did in January. Although some of that may have to do with the whole pneumonia thing.
Her preschool is doing a big end of year celebration party tonight with dinner and an art show. The Boy went to this school for three years, so I’m pretty accustomed to the end of year routine. They’ve done an art show at year’s end ever since he started going there. So we’ll now have a piece of art from The Girl to add to the collection. And she’ll get to be called up to the front of the room and have her teacher (whom she adores and insists on giving hugs and kisses before she leaves) give her a certificate of completion for this year. And she will beam as she runs up there amid all the other parents clapping for her and me catching as many pictures as I can.
Some people think this routine is a little crazy for a two or three year old. That having a graduation or a celebration for anything but high school or college is just silly. But after seeing the smiles that light up the faces of my children and after seeing the pride they have in their accomplishment, I am no longer one of those people. I understand the danger of over-praising kids for doing things that they should be doing anyway. But moving up through the levels of education with pride and success and a growing love of learning is always something to be celebrated in my world.
I will snap entirely too many pictures. And I will clap and tear up. I am her proud mama.
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
3/8/09
Runaway
I was pretty crazy in high school. Lots of partying. Lots of drinking. A fair amount of dabbling here and there and everywhere with all things dangerous and/or envelope pushing. Because of that, when I went to college, I wasn’t all that crazy. I was actually pretty staid truth be told. When I arrived on campus, I had already stopped drinking and wouldn’t start drinking again for almost two more years. I was pretty focused and there to study, not party. I mean, yes, I stayed up way too late almost every night and went to parties, but I did it without killing anymore brain cells.
In high school, I was pretty good at just letting go and doing whatever the moment moved me to do. For better or for worse, regardless of regret come the morning light, if I needed a night of unrestrained fun, crazy or adventure that is exactly what I let myself do. Even when I did start drinking again in college, I never really got to that point again. And I gotta say that every once in a while I really miss it. The ability to just let go and be and do whatever comes next.
Which is one of the reasons why I ran away to Denver yesterday. Not only because I needed some art in my life. Not only because I needed some alone time. Not only because I needed some friend time. But because I needed to just let go and be. And I did and it was more fun than I’ve had in a long, long time. I charmed my friends into staying outside to play darts next to the chiminea when it was entirely too cold to hang out outside. I drank too much. I laughed more than I have in months. And I managed to kick some ass at the second game of darts.
It was grand. And then I woke up this morning to a whopping headache. But it was worth it. And when I called home to check on the kiddos, the guilt returned because they both had fevers. But I’m trying not to let that guilt sully such an amazing day.
In high school, I was pretty good at just letting go and doing whatever the moment moved me to do. For better or for worse, regardless of regret come the morning light, if I needed a night of unrestrained fun, crazy or adventure that is exactly what I let myself do. Even when I did start drinking again in college, I never really got to that point again. And I gotta say that every once in a while I really miss it. The ability to just let go and be and do whatever comes next.
Which is one of the reasons why I ran away to Denver yesterday. Not only because I needed some art in my life. Not only because I needed some alone time. Not only because I needed some friend time. But because I needed to just let go and be. And I did and it was more fun than I’ve had in a long, long time. I charmed my friends into staying outside to play darts next to the chiminea when it was entirely too cold to hang out outside. I drank too much. I laughed more than I have in months. And I managed to kick some ass at the second game of darts.
It was grand. And then I woke up this morning to a whopping headache. But it was worth it. And when I called home to check on the kiddos, the guilt returned because they both had fevers. But I’m trying not to let that guilt sully such an amazing day.
1/18/09
High School Drop Out
I dropped out of high school. My senior year. I only needed one class to graduate. And I just quit. I told myself it was because of the teacher of that one class. She was a raging bitch with a major chip on her shoulder who had flat out told me that there was nothing I could do to pass her class. So I simply walked out. In reality though I think I quit because I was just done. For most of high school the only thing that got me out of bed was the opportunity to be involved in the drama department. And my senior year, that really kicked into high gear. I got to student direct the school musical first semester and then essentially have my pick of roles in the play second semester.
But the rest of it? Just didn’t matter to me anymore. My boyfriend at the time was the star goalie of the lacrosse team so I went to all the games and the parties on the weekends. Drama and my social life were the only reasons to even step foot on campus. So I found myself sneaking around the old school so that I could tailor make my days. Mostly hiding in the drama department, occasionally sneaking a smoke out the back doors.
It didn’t really sink in that I was a high school drop out until the rest of my friends graduated. I went to the ceremony to support them and about half way through the proceedings it dawned on me that I would not ever get to do this. That my parents wouldn’t ever get to take the requisite picture of me in my cheesy cap and gown holding my diploma. There would be no bragging about my GPA or what colleges I had been accepted to.
I never went back to high school so to speak. I took a summer school class a year after I should have graduated and got those last three credits. I never requested a copy of my diploma or anything. The simple knowledge that it was done was enough. And I wouldn’t trade the memories of that senior year for anything.
But the rest of it? Just didn’t matter to me anymore. My boyfriend at the time was the star goalie of the lacrosse team so I went to all the games and the parties on the weekends. Drama and my social life were the only reasons to even step foot on campus. So I found myself sneaking around the old school so that I could tailor make my days. Mostly hiding in the drama department, occasionally sneaking a smoke out the back doors.
It didn’t really sink in that I was a high school drop out until the rest of my friends graduated. I went to the ceremony to support them and about half way through the proceedings it dawned on me that I would not ever get to do this. That my parents wouldn’t ever get to take the requisite picture of me in my cheesy cap and gown holding my diploma. There would be no bragging about my GPA or what colleges I had been accepted to.
I never went back to high school so to speak. I took a summer school class a year after I should have graduated and got those last three credits. I never requested a copy of my diploma or anything. The simple knowledge that it was done was enough. And I wouldn’t trade the memories of that senior year for anything.