My So-Called Life ;-)

Lots going on this week…the last week of school. Bringing joy to the hearts of children and terror to the hearts of parents everywhere!
Yesterday morning (Monday) Handsome Lad’s class performed a play. It was the standard melodrama where the villain tricks the family into giving up the deed to their gold mine. In exchange he wants Little Nell’s hand in marriage, but her heart belongs to Handsome Harry, etc… Anyway Handsome Lad played the role of one of the good miners. I can’t remember what his character was called, but he did a great job. I think he may have found his calling. No, not mining….ACT-ing!

Tonight is Girlie Girl’s graduation from Middle School. This has been a rather expensive proposition as she needed a new dress and shoes not only for graduation, but also for the graduation dance held last Friday night. She is extremely particular about what she wears too. Not so unusual for a girl her age and she has always been very into looking cute. I believe the whole family will be attending. Afterwards, back to our house for a little dessert party.

Tomorrow night is Social Animal’s High School graduation. A dinner party will follow…probably at a pizza place, because with the whole extended family in attendance that would probably be all I could swing. I am really proud of what a great high school career he made for himself. He somehow realized the importance of the whole high school experience and really optimized it for himself. He maintained a 3.8 GPA over the course of his four years, played football all four years and, as his name implies, had many friends and social activities. He’s decided to attend community college in the fall with the thought of getting the first couple of years of basic education out of the way before moving on to a University. He is excited about moving out with a couple of his friends next month and will have some money in the form of graduation gifts, but there is the little matter of a job! He seems confident that he’ll be able to land something that will provide him with enough to get by on. I would be more skeptical if this were anyone but Social Animal.

Thursday is everyone’s official last day of school, so per tradition I took the day off. It also happens to be my regular Friday off. We will be able to ease right in to summer vacation. After all of this we have Social Animal’s 18th birthday on Monday. I’m not sure what he wants to do in the way of a party. For the past couple of years he has had a big swimming party. I suppose we could swing that again if he wants, but not until the following weekend at the soonest.

This is all very exciting and joyous, and I am fighting against the temptation to just wish it were all over. I really do want to be able to enjoy and appreciate these special moments. These are all once in a lifetime things that I do not want to later regret having let them slip by in a blur of anxiety. I see how much I bring up the financial end of things, because all of that is weighing on me rather heavily right now. Still, it is so much more than that and I truly want to live appreciatively.