Seven Quick Takes are hosted at Conversion Diary.
1) Kelson is a HS graduate! His commencement was short, sweet, and seemly -- the most riotous moment was when all the grads threw their caps into the air -- but it is kept that way by teachers and administrators galore, and a pat-down of all the grads before they process in. Arwen's graduation was disrupted by smoke bombs, and Branwen's by beach balls (brought in and then inflated) so I see the necessity but deplore the cultural attitude that makes it so.
2) Of course, the thing I remember most about my graduation (In 1969! I'm OLD!) is the two guys on either side of me playing cards across me during the speeches. I remember the name of one of the school board members who spoke, but that is only because he was the step-father of one of my classmates, and step-fathers in those days were rare (and somewhat scandalous) creatures. Now, probably half the graduating class has one. Sigh.
3) This includes our "spare kid', who I haven't mentioned here before - and won't ever again - and whom I will refer to only as X. X has lived with us for much of the school year. He and Kelson have been friends since middle school, and one day last fall I noticed that Kelson offered X the chance to take a shower at our house. A little delicate prying disclosed that X's mom and stepfather (!) were divorcing, and for reasons that I still don't understand after a talk with his mom, X had been thrown out of his home and was living on the streets. After a little discussion and the aforesaid chat with X's mom we offered him a bed at our house. So two members of our household graduated on Tuesday. Congratulations, X! You did it!
4) This is the first graduation we've had with no younger kids still in school. So it's a little disorienting to me to see the school buses still running, and find the mall still empty on a Wednesday afternoon. Isn't it summer?? School's out! But for non-seniors there's still a week and a half to go.
5) Tomorrow will be a massive day of cooking and organizing, because the graduation Open House is Sunday afternoon. Since this is the sixth one I've done, I have lots of supplies and lots of experience, and since Kelson didn't care about the menu, I chose things that are easy for me: queso and chips and soft taco fixings. Tirienne (who is studying cake decoration at culinary school) offered to make the cake, but discovered she has a conflicting commitment. But she has made decorations that I can just place on a base of white frosting, so I don't mind. I LOVE having talented children!
6) Of course, the other side of getting the last child graduated is the upcoming empty nest. I know I will love no longer being tied to the school calendar. No more conflicts between Right to Life meetings and band concerts, or choir practice and Quiz Bowl meets. And no restriction on when we have to come home from visiting grandchildren. But also no new-to-me music blaring in the dining room (who would have thought I'd like Romeo and Juliet by The Killers!!) and no late night conversations about faith and morality. As with any new stage of life, I guess I will just have to get used to it.
7) And we still have a couple of college graduations to look forward to. And grandchildren graduating from kindergarten. And middle school. And High School. And college! But for those I won't have to do the Open Houses, just show up with a card and a kiss and a gift or two. I think I'm going to like this new stage of dealing with graduation. Bring it on!
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