June 11, 2012

It was graduation here this weekend.  Busy times.  I tried not to cry as I watched my girl make her way across the stage being promoted out of elementary school. (Here we have three schools, Elementary-Grades Kindergarten-Fifth, Middle School-Grades Six through Eight and High School-Grades 9-12).


I have really been struggling a lot lately with her sense of Independence and well know-it-all-ness.   She has definitely hit that age of rebellion and attitude. YET...this weekend was delightful. They had a little party at her best friend's house after graduation on Friday with about ten kids from their classes and it was a blast.  Water balloons, super squirt guns, games, music and food.  It was a great thing for both of us as we tend to spend a lot of time by ourselves; we don't necessarily have a tribe of friends that we spend time with.  Over the course of the day I realized how I have been moved more to the sidelines. As they sat on the deck and sang, laughed, ate and threw things at each other I took some photos but then without the camera in front of me, I felt the need to move off into the house and give them their time. No longer am I in the mix of their playtime, coordinating and joining in.  But I was so glad to see her so happy and energetic.  That is her crouched in the chair in the halter dress. And that is the boy she likes in the blue shirt. Her first crush and once I met him at the party I saw why, she has good taste my girl.  It was all cute and elevenish where they follow each other around smashing water balloons on each other and moving and grooving alongside each other but not really talking much.  She is shy my girl, just like me and he seemed a bit too.


Her stomach got the better of her after about three hours.  Too much sun and excitement and noise and junk food. I felt bad for her at first having to leave the party before the games or the sleepover but the truth was she seemed so relieved to be home.  She just has a sensitive nature, too much of anything just sets her off kilter even the good things.  I asked her later after some rest and some coolness if she wanted to go back for the sleepover and she said no, she was so tired.  In a way I am glad that she is able to know what she needs versus needing to keep up with the other kids.  She curled up in my lap and we watched a movie and she snuggled in close and I could have done anything to just hold onto the day, it was so perfect, stomachache and all.


Saturday we had a high school graduation for my cousin's daughter with the rest of my immediate family about an hour's drive away.  Another great afternoon of food and family. It's amazing I guess sometimes what just getting out of the house does for you and I had Sunday to rest and clean up a bit, and eat off graduation leftovers, so I wasn't completely overwhelmed.


So now school is out.  Hooray!  For me it means no homework to do in the evenings, no papers to remember to sign, no lunches to pack, no children to wrestle from bed in the morning.  We can stay out while the sun is still shining about 8:30 pm these days (nice) and the girls are thrilled that I am not forcing them to summer camp again this year and they are spending the majority of their days next door with Great-Grandmom and Grandpa.


In other news, I am still seeing the bluebirds flittering among the trees.  The chickadee babies that we have been watching diligently in protection from the outside cats seem to have flown the nest while we were away on Saturday.  Sunday morning we no longer saw the parents landing on the house and hopping in to feed them.  So we are sad our little neighbors have flown off into the world.  Summer is arriving early.  Almost all our flowers have bloomed already.  Half my grandmother's roses are already fading away and my hydrangea bush is already flowering, something that doesn't usually happen until late July/August.  It seems our mild winter threw everything off schedule.  I expect we'll start seeing the fireflies any time the way things are going.  I know how fond you are of insects.


Hope you aren't drowning in your business of decluttering.  Until Thursday, happy days.


  Jen