New Beginnings

There have been two graduates in my family in the last two weeks. One is my oldest daughter. She graduated from high school. The other is my son who graduated from preschool.

While I attended both graduations, I didn't actually see either one of them get their diplomas.

My daughter's graduation was scheduled for seven-thirty on a Friday night. She had to be at school by five-thirty. She called me on the phone to tell me she had to park very far away as the road was already filled with cars. Since we weren't dressed and our sitter wasn't showing up until six-thirty, there wasn't much we could do.

We were at the gates by six-fifty, tickets in hand. Each graduate had been given five tickets. The people with tickets were to be let in before seven. The people without were to be let in after seven.

The minute we got to the gate everybody was let in early. Imagine if gas were on sale for a dollar twenty-five a gallon and the first person to win the foot race got to fill their tank for a year at that price. That's how fast everybody STAMPEDED into the bleachers, leaving a spot in the nosebleed section.

How far away were we?



My daughter is down there. She's the one in the green robe. This picture was taken with my lens zoomed in as far as it could go.

This is a picture without the camera zoomed in.



I eventually stood up near the fence to watch but I still couldn't see her. When I heard her name, I screamed so loud that the boys in front of me turned around and said, "Wow that's some enthusiasm."

Too bad she didn't hear me. Next time I'm taking an air horn.

The school choir, in which she is a member, sang two songs. I told her that she hadn't mentioned to me she'd be singing at graduation. She told me she didn't think it was that important. Sigh.

My son's graduation was on a Thursday afternoon. Usually his preschool does it outside on the grass. This year they did it inside the classroom.

While my daughter's graduating class had about four hundred and fifty students, my sons class seemed to have four hundred and fifty parents.

This was my view of my son's graduation.



Sensing a theme here?

Since my daughter had graduated in a robe, my son was more than willing to put his on. Normally there would have been no way he would have donned it.

In the case of both my son and daughter, pictures were taken by their respective schools of them receiving their diploma. So even though I couldn't see, I still have two visual mementos.

I also took a picture of my daughter after her ceremony.



She is off to a two year college in the fall. After she's collected all the cheap credits she can, we'll send her to a four year college.

She is interested in choir and photography. She received a very nice camera for graduation with a telephoto lens and all the bells and whistles. She's very good at taking pictures and especially skilled at cleaning them up with photoshop. Maybe I'll have her take some pics of me and then blur out a chin or three.

I have a picture of my son before his ceremony.



My son is headed off to mainstream kindergarten, MAINSTREAM kindergarten, something I never dreamed of two short years ago. He will probably need an aide which the school district won't want to supply. I can even understand that from their point of view, as aides cost money.

It's a good think I'm fingerprinted with the district since I'll probably be working as an unpaid aide in the fall, huh?

School is still not out for my son and youngest daughter. June 10Th is their last day.

We can hardly wait.