It's official. Our baby has left the cocoon of elementary school. This morning was his promotion ceremony and today was his last day ever at Corbett Elementary School. The promotion ceremony was very nice. All the students filed in and the principal made an introduction and read a quote by Dr. Seuss: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go." After that the children sang a great song about getting up and getting going. Then class by class the teachers handed out their promotion certificates. First was the class next door to his, then the GATE class, then his class, then the 5th graders from the ELL combo. After that they sang two songs. The one they sang right after getting their certificates was a real tear-jerker. I can't remember it though. I'm bad like that. My brain has a tendency to block the sad stuff. The last one was beautiful too, it was about goals. And then, POOF, it was over. He chose to stay the rest of the day at school though. He wanted to have one last day there rather than leaving early--which was actually a good thing since John has to sleep during the day because he works nights. When we got home and I got out of the car there was a penny waiting for me. I picked it up and it was from 2003. Nana Mack wanted to let us know that she had been at the promotion too. We both pretty much lost it at that point.
Sean had a really good time at school today and was very glad he chose to stay. He and Lawrence were chosen to run errands for the teacher and the kids who stayed had Eegee's and all sorts of snacks. He's on an up-and-down sugar high. He told me that he had thought about having one last Eegee's but that it would have been too much and he wouldn't fall asleep until 12:01. He sort of freaks if he doesn't fall asleep by midnight. When I retrieved him from school we hung around for a little while and he said good-bye to Mrs. Larson (his teacher) and the principal and his kindergarten teacher. It was kind of funny when he hugged his kindergarten teacher because he's almost as tall as her now. I think she was a little startled when he hugged her. She is one of those teachers who hugs the children in the morning when she greets them and in the afternoon when she releases them to their parents. When he was in her class he was still not hugging much and it was extremely hard for him. After about a week or so he asked her if it was okay for him to just shake hands with her instead and she said yes. So I think it really shocked her to get a hug from him. Anyway, we finally left the school about 20 minutes after dismissal.
I took him over to Toys 'R' Overpriced to poke around (no money today to buy anything) and let him play the crane machine since I had $2 for that. We also poked around the Target down the street for a little while. It was a good time to talk as well. A lot of his true feelings about the end of school came out. He's been playing the big man and all but it came out today that he doesn't really want to leave Corbett--which I knew without him saying, but he confirmed it. He told me, "Teacher said it will be a big change for us next year. This year we were the big fish in the ocean and next year we will be the small fish. Mom, I don't want to be the small fish." He is pleased that one of the boys from his class will be going to Utterback though. He found that out from his teacher after school. What makes it even better is that it's one of his friends, not a close friend but they talk sometimes. Also he has been having a big issue with not being a Corbett Cougar anymore. Utterback is the Unicorns and while he wants to go to Utterback he does NOT want to be a unicorn. He associates unicorns with girls and also with the Unicorn Song where they're all shy and scared. He told me that Lawrence told him not to think of it as a unicorn but to think of it as a horned stallion because that's more manly. (I admit I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at that one.)
He also got his last report card today and it was EXCELLENT. He got more 4s than he's ever gotten before. What was great about them was that they were in core subjects as well as the social stuff. He only dropped in one area and that was listening and speaking. He went from a 4 to a 3. No big deal. Definitely a good way to end the day by seeing such a good report card. Of course, we already knew he'd made the honor roll since they handed out the certificates and bumper stickers on Monday. LOL
He is now on the phone with Lawrence and they are already planning what to do tomorrow. His mother has tomorrow off and she is going to take the boys somewhere. Not sure what they're doing but I'm sure he'll have a good time. He just popped in and asked me if 9:30 was too early. Nope. Works just fine. When the pool warms up a bit we'll have them over to go swimming. Also the other day when they went bowling the kids got cards to register online with the bowling alley to get free passes for 2 games each EVERY DAY. They'll send them in the mail. I'm going to sign him up for that as well and we can do it sometimes. Depending on how much it costs for shoes and games I'd even like to bowl with him sometimes if my hip will let me. At least it's my left one so it's the back leg when I'm releasing the ball rather than the weight-bearing leg. LOL
I probably should stop before I start rambling even more than I already have. It's just been a really nice day and if the evening continues this way I can say that it was a great day in our corner of the world. I hope you're all having a great day as well.
5 comments:
sounds like a lovely day, despite the bittersweet aspect, Wilma. So glad Nana Mack was there in spirit and let you know it...
Love Sean's take on everything - so funny! I'm sure he will do well in middle school, and will soon find a good group of core friends. Just looked up Utterback on line and you can tell Sean for me that I think the Unicorn on the web page is an extremely tough looking one - no rainbows or pink or fluffy hearts.
Hope you'll be able to bowl with Sean this summer. I guess only people who've lived in the desert SW can understand why bowling is such a big summer activity there. My boys bowled every summer that we lived in AZ...enjoy!
Thank you SO much, Carolyne. I hadn't really looked at the unicorn on the webpage. He's very relieved. The one on the side of the building that one of the graphic design classes painted a few years back is your typical effeminate-type unicorn and he was less-than-impressed with it.
Bowling is definitely a summer sport here. Like you say, people who don't live here don't understand that the summer is our equivalent of the eastern winter where you want to do as much as possible indoors. Not only that but Sean says that bowling is his type of sport--it's held indoors, you don't have to run and the ball doesn't come at you waiting to attack. LOL
HA! Love the way he thinks...I feel the same way he does but I'm still not very good at it. Shameful, really, since my parents were such huge bowlers that they had their own personal bowling balls...oh well, they tried...; )
And yes, it is definitely the sport of choice for the AZ summer - you don't get it until you experience it!
Glad he's relieved about the unicorn. The school looks really interesting -love the way they integrate the arts into everything! Will Lawrence be going there, too?
I'm not that great of a bowler but I have owned two bowling balls in my life.
Lawrence isn't going there. He's going to Booth-Fickett which is a K-8 Math-Science magnet. The only one that Sean knows who's going to Utterback is Kevin. They're friends too, not close by any means but they do chat. Of course, with well over 300 kids per grade the chances of them even seeing each other are pretty slim. :/
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