Friday Favorites: Graduation Edition

Two days, people!

Two days until the Man-Cub graduates!

Two days before I am, officially, no longer the parent of a kid attending high school.

Two days before I can sit down, catch my breath, and reflect on the past sixteen years as a chauffeur, school volunteer, classroom party planner, sports mom, etc., etc., etc.

In the meantime, we still have the Cub's party to get through, and, of course, the graduation ceremony. We also have a number of parties to attend for friends of the Cub (whose parents have become our friends, in case I haven't said it before), and, on Monday, the class's sober grad party, which we are hosting at a swanky golf course outside of town.

I'm still going to be pretty busy for awhile, is my point.

But! I'm not too busy to talk about some of my current favorites, so, here we go!

The Man-Cub's graduation cap turned out amazing! He designed the artwork and then one of his football coaches-who happens to teach Spanish at the school as well as being an incredible artist-painted the design onto the cap. The Hawaiian phrase at the top, he ho'omaka hou ana, translates into "a new beginning".

Speaking of graduation caps, Trace and Mikey did a great job adding their own personal touches to their caps...

...as did several of the girls in the Cub's class, this one was my favorite at Baccalaureate...

Not all of the kids had their caps decorated at Baccalaureate, so I am looking forward to seeing even more cool designs at graduation.

We have received numerous graduation announcements from the Cub's classmates and from friends from out of town. I wanted to display them all, so I came up with this...

I love it! I'll be sad when graduation is over and it's time to take it down.

And, speaking of graduation announcements, I don't think I ever posted a picture of the Cub's. What a tragic oversight! Let me remedy that situation, immediately.

 Front

Back

They turned out great, I got them at half-price, thanks to a deal that Shutterfly was running, and I had a code for free shipping; can't go wrong with a deal like that!

While I was ordering the announcements, I figured, what the hell; can't beat this price for party invitations, so, I ordered some for the boys' graduation party as well. They also turned out great.

The Cub spent a Sunday afternoon folding, stuffing, sealing, and stamping his announcements before handing them over to me to address, which, I did only because he has the handwriting of a serial killer and I thought the postman might need to be able to actually  read the addresses in order to deliver the mail.

And, that wraps up this week's favorites! Tune in next week when I either cry over how emotional graduation was or squee with excitement over our upcoming vacation; with my hormones lately, it's a crapshoot as to which one it will be.

Baccalaureate

Last night, we attended the school's baccalaureate ceremony. The event featured the same basic elements that all baccalaureate ceremonies include; there was an invocation, a guest speaker, and a slideshow highlighting each of the seniors along with a message that they had for their families and friends.

It was all very standard.

And, yet...not.

These were our kids in those caps and gowns; that elevates a typical baccalaureate from standard to pretty damn special.

Back to Where It All Started: Elementary School Graduate Parade

Thirteen years ago, I dropped a rambunctious five-year-old off in a kindergarten classroom and crossed my fingers for his educational future.

Today, I watched as a confident eighteen-year-old, dressed in a graduation cap and gown, walked  through the hallways of that very same school, basking in the applause of the students gathered to catch a glimpse of their own futures.

It seems only right that what started at the elementary school would have an ending, of sorts, there as well, at least for me.

And, the bonus? I didn't cry once.

Saving that shit for Sunday.

This Is What a Final Project Looks Like in Shop Class

Last night, the Man-Cub and his friends converged on the school to pull off the traditional Senior Prank. They had plotted and planned and, in my opinion, came up with something so diabolically clever, they really should consider a career in pranking.

If that, like, paid or something.

Anyhoodle, armed with an old junker car, a welding torch, and the skills they learned in metal shop, the boys managed this...

...which, probably doesn't seem too terribly impressive until you pan out a bit...

...and, yes, it really is welded completely back together around that light pole.

I think my favorite part is the fact that they took great pains to protect the pole from both the sparks caused by the welding and the paint with which they sprayed the car once it was in place; they must have purchased the Saran Wrap in bulk.

I also love the fact that they got permission from the Principal prior to the prank. And, by got permission, I mean that they explained what they planned to do and the Principal laughed and said, "Yeah, sure you can", with a dismissive shrug because, apparently, he has never met this particular group of boys and didn't realize what they are truly capable of doing once they set their minds to it.

Bet he realized his mistake right quick once he got to school this morning.

So, chalk one up for the Seniors, And, kuddos to the shop teacher, because, if he ever doubted his ability to mold the minds and talents of his students, this should be proof positive that he needn't have.

Guess What I Got For Mother's Day?

A clean porch and a fully stocked wine fridge! Two of my favorite things, as well as two things that go great together! I'm a lucky, lucky mother.

The clean porch was a challenge, considering the mess that Old Man Winter left it in...

What? It doesn't look that bad, you say?

Yeah.  This is what lurked beneath the furniture..

Shudder.

Amyhoodle, after hours and hours of pressure washing, including that which was required of the furniture...

... we have a sparkly clean porch, ready for entertaining.

And, with my new wine fridge installed in the mudroom, just mere steps away, we are ready to do it in style.

Have I mentioned how great it is to be a mom?

Friday Favorites: Sweet Tea Cottage Sale Edition

Kortni and I just spent a couple of hours in the presence of one of the sweetest junkers in the world. Miss Pam is my neighbor and she and her husband have done an amazing job renovating and restoring a turn-o-the-century bungalow here in Petticoat Junction; their hard work has elevated the neighborhood.

Twice a year or so, Miss Pam hosts a barn sale out of the re-purposed garage on the property; she sells items that she has picked up across the country during her frequent travels as well as items that she and her husband have built from what she calls "bits and pieces" of traditional farm life. Her creativity is something to be admired, for sure.

In addition to restoring the old house, Miss Pam brought the gardens and flowerbeds on the property back to life. She infused them with her own unique creations and her husband added a pergola made from salvaged windows and barn wood. I am in love with Miss Pam's back yard, not gonna lie.

I didn't pick up much at the sale today, just an old metal mailbox and a hand-crafted chalkboard (you're welcome, Hugh). The chalkboard has already found a home on the narrow wall between our kitchen and dining room, where it provides a clever camouflage for a long-abandoned phone jack. The mailbox is a component of a project that I am planning to have Hugh help me with; it was inspired by a similar project at the cottage, and, I'll share that in a future post.

Of course, my most favorite part of the day was spending time with friends.

Oh, and the wine. Did I mention there was wine?

Totally a favorite.