So long, farewell.....

Most people get through grade school in about six years plus kindergarten. Some of us have to go back for a longer stint. I've just graduated from Vineyard Elementary School after 28 years of diligent attendance.

Cameron, last of eleven, walked across the stage as an officially graduated sixth grader last Thursday. I thought I had definitely earned the right to get up and walk across that stage myself. After all, I've completed over a dozen science projects, eleven, county, state and country projects, spearheaded class parties, sat through numerous maturation clinics and signed countless, and I mean countless, reading logs. One mother has only so many projects and logs in her. I think I am close to scraping the bottom of my spelling list barrel. I imagine the fine teachers at Vineyard have been getting a peak at that barrel bottom so it's a good thing I'm gracefully bowing out. (I remember about eight years ago one of the teachers confided in me at parent teacher conference that I was know as "that incredible woman!" I don't think it was as much as a compliment as a statement of disbelief! Maybe they really say "that crazy woman!" And they probably would be right.)

What's next? If I am really good and work hard maybe in three years I'll be out of Junior High. That's real progress. I'll be 58.

Cameron keeps reminding me that he has "old" parents. I could actually be his friends' parents parent. I tell him he's lucky to have a "seasoned" mother who knows when to sweat the small stuff and when to let it go. (Mostly you just let it go.)

I was thinking last week how really grateful I am for my children - all eleven of them. I wouldn't change it for the world. But...I'm quite happy to have reached and passed the milestone of grade school graduation.