Baby No More
I am the Proud Parent of a Kindergarten Graduate. Summa Cum Laude, I’m sure, as he knew all of his ABCs and can read passably well. And he can count upwards of 200.
I think sometimes that the schools do these things just to get the parents teary and sentimental. I had a little moment at home, when I was ironing the wrinkles out of Lawson’s little mini-gown and doing a study of his little mini-cap. I decided that that was it, though. I am not a publicly sentimental person. I hide behind my camera.
Law hammed it up when he found me hiding behind the video camera. He had just climbed into position on the risers (a terrible position, as it happened—I had a time getting any decent footage of him between the mic stand and the kids surrounding him) and was searching the audience for his family. You can see him, in the video, discover first his grandparents and Autumn, and then me with the camera. (Duane had to be out of town.) He starts putting on a show almost immediately. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq8hmJmFH_8 These kids are hysterical—they almost remind me, in their goofiness, of high school seniors. The tools were a little different–silly string, air horns, and beach balls–but the feeling in the air was the same. Euphoria. Elation. Giddiness. Triumph. Victory.
A lot of the kids even had full extended families in attendance, families who whooped and hollered as loudly as they possibly could in the echoing super-sized Thomas Road Baptist Church sanctuary when their kindergartner marched across the stage to shake the hand of Jonathan Falwell and receive his or her “diploma.” Some of these kindergartners had more family in attendance at their kindergarten graduation than I did at my high school graduation–no kidding.
Things that make you go ‘hmmm.’
It almost made me wonder if I should have called my mom down in South Carolina and my dad down in Texas, and informed them that apparently this was a Really Big Deal and they needed to hightail it up to Virginia to lend Lawson some moral support and sincere congratulations. And possibly a few green-stuffed envelopes while they were at it. After all, graduations don’t come around but so often. Preschool. Kindergarten. Fifth grade. Eighth grade. Senior year. College, if you’re lucky. Somebody stop me. This was significant.
Really. Even if he does still drag his baby blanket around, my baby’s officially not a baby anymore.
At Day's End...Are We There Yet? 
I’ve never been to a K graduation before, but I do know that at our sixth grade graduations, the parents get pretty excited and do a lot of whooping as well. I have to admit, I do miss being a part of those now that I teach 5th – bright side is that I get to see my students for one more year at the school instead of them just disappearing off into the middle school.
I’m off to check out your video…
Okay, I’m back…I just watched the video. I think I want to adopt Lawson…holy hannah, that kid had me laughing my head off!
He is a piece of work, Lori…a piece of work.
That’s my Awesome Lawson. Mine. All Mine.
You’re right; her clueless camera talk commentary was a riot. Love the accents though.
I am amazed at just how high that thing went. I’d heard of doing that before, but never actually seen it.
I do have to say that the area around your home is beautiful; I loved how you could hear the birds singing in the background. I wonder…do you guys have chiggers or fireflies though? I lived in Missouri for a couple of years and we had both. Loved the fireflies, hated the chiggers.
Thanks for sharing, L.
Does that Lawson get whatever he wants with those DIMPLES? He and my kindergarten graduate (aka Princess) would get along well… do you believe in arranging these sorts of things when they’re young? 😉
Gerb, he does get an awful lot, I have to admit. And OF COURSE I believe in arranged marriages…I’m not going to let just any hussy sink her hooks in him! 😉 Do you prefer Spring or Fall for these things? And does she have good teeth?