Graduations!

I love it when big events line up with each other

and our extended family can be with us for more

than one event. More bang for their buck!

The big even this year is BRANDON'S GRADUATION!

He's so funny. He didn't even want to participate in graduation.

"Why spend eighty bucks on a blue piece of cloth

for me to wear for an hour?"

He's got a point...

However, both sets of grandparents wanted to be here

to commemorate this step in his life.

So we paid the eighty bucks. Ha!

Caroline is also promoting from elementary school.

It's the end of an era at Pilot.

We've had kids there for the last eleven years.

I've spent many, many hours volunteering there

and will miss the teachers and librarian.

Grandma and Grandpa Sweat came first,

so we got a couple of days with them to ourselves.

Love listening to Grandma and Whit on the piano.

Jamming out to Carole King

Caroline showed them some of her magic tricks from her kit.

I was in charge of the committee to 

decorate the fifth grade halls.

Hooray for fun balloon pics! 

I took the easy route and re-used the 

theme from last year:

Oh, the places you'll go.

I had some great helpers and we got the decorating done fast!

Look at our big girl,

ready to leave elementary school in the dust!

So proud of Caroline and how well she did in elementary.

They had an awards ceremony before the graduation.

She LOVED having Ms. Bedingfield this year.

Such a wonderful teacher.

Glad we could have family here to cheer for our girl.

The ceremony was SOOOOO long.

The announcer would wait until each student had shaken 

the hands of all the fifth grade teachers, the principal,

and the assistant principal before she'd call the next name.

It was kind of excruciating.

But we love our girl.

So we hung in there. :)

The next day, they had a bowling party at Spare Time.

I got to chaperone.

I may have won a Space Invaders bonus or two....

Caroline may have inherited my love of coin pushing...

That night, the rest of our family arrived.

Mark, Taylor, and their kids.

Grandma Cuca and my parents.

Destiny even flew in from Texas for the weekend!

On the day of graduation, Brandon chose to have

all of us play at Boxcar arcade for a bit in the morning.

 We had a great time there,

but couldn't stay too long.

Then it was off to the big high school graduation.

Ragsdale had about four times as many graduates as

Pilot Elementary, but they got the whole ceremony 

done in at least half the time. 

They have it down to a science!

I'm so glad B humored us and went through the ceremony,

even though he didn't want to.

I understand what he's saying about graduating

high school not being some big accomplishment.

But it's more about starting the next phase of his life.

Brandon's cheering section

So grateful to have all this love and support,

all of them coming from FAR across the country.

We went with a floral motif. :)

I love my boy!

Our house won't be the same 

without this guy around. 

After graduation, we took everyone out to

Fire and Sticks, a hibachi restaurant.

Marcos and Gabriel are sushi eaters!

We all squeezed together around one big table.

So fun to watch them cook right on the table.

Why does their food taste so much better 

than what I make at home???

Brandon got to open his preschool time capsule

that Miss Martha had them make 14 years ago!

So cute.

I'm not the most sentimental mom. Or much of a worry wart. But it is weird to be entering this new phase of life where we'll be sending kids off and out of our home. There are lots of questions. Did I teach him everything he needs to know? Will he make good choices? Will he work hard? Will he be  nice? Will he remember to do his laundry? What is he going to eat?

But Brandon is a pretty amazing kid. And super confident in himself. And feels ready for this next step. Which makes it easier to let him go. I'll miss his quick wit and his good hugs, but am happy for him to embark on new adventures. And am grateful for technology that can keep us connected across the miles.