The Date of the Last Day of School

Today, June 4th, is the last day of school for my 2nd and 5th graders. I just brought them to school, my oldest for his last day of elementary school. This is not a post about being sad. They have both, once again, ended the school year making me proud with many accomplishments, both academic and social. They are leaving behind teachers who are proud of them and I believe their words wholeheartedly when they say they loved/enjoyed having them in their class. 

No, this is a post about the actual date of the last day of school. Here, in Wisconsin one day was already factored into the school calendar for a snow day, or cold day as it was used. There were no additional days added on, usually there are just a few, so today, June 4th, is their last day of school. They started after Labor Day and had a short spring break, but I still can’t help but compare it to my last day of school, my senior year. Fellow DHS 1993 graduates know what I’m talking about. It was the year graduation was held on June 30th, teaching us all that it was the last “legal” day in CT that school could be held, giving us the bragging rights of the last graduating class in the state. If it rained and graduation couldn’t be held on the football field no one knew what the effect would be. I don’t remember the speeches, I apologize to those who worked tirelessly writing them, but I remember seeing a great friend’s smile across the field of chairs and a gray cloud overhead hoping it didn’t produce rain (which it did not). There was major construction on the school, over winter break asbestos was found so break was lengthened, the blizzard of ’93 hit in April resulting in yet more days off of school. Then, ironically, we had several days cut short because it was too hot in the building. I still remember that if it was 80° and 80% humidity on the 5th floor of the science building (it was a big school) by noon we’d have an early release. (If I remember correctly 22 years later).

The last day of school. June 4th?! Single digits of June?! Yep, not in my childhood, but in my adult life, and I’m good with that…..bring on the last day of school traditions!!! For us, it starts with a trip to the ice cream shop, what are your last day of school traditions?

Maybe this photo was taken on June 4, 1993?

Where Were You 20 Years Ago?

There are not many dates on the calendar I can remember where I was 20 years ago, but today I can. 20 years ago today I was climbing into the driver’s seat of an Eagle Summit (memory is a bit foggy on that detail), but I do remember it had a sunroof! Heather and Carrie, my two dear friends, climbed into the car with me, we all had the biggest smiles on our faces as we reached out the sunroof and sang along with Billy Joel at the top of our lungs to “Only the Good Die Young”. We were on our way to our high school graduation, Class of 1993!

Take note of the bulldozer in the upper left.

Not smiling only because I'm talking (as usual). Do you see my Middle Eastern father behind me?

Thanks to Facebook I am being reminded that I remember very little of the actual ceremony. I remember it was hot, we had 400+ graduates and we had the “honor/bragging rights” of being the last graduating class in all of Connecticut, and I think the largest as well. I remember the dark cloud overhead while praying it didn’t rain, which it didn’t. I remember being able to see Carrie’s face on the other side of the stage on the football field. I do not remember the marbles and/or apples some people handed to the principals upon being handed their diplomas. Never even heard about it, I don’t think, until someone posted it on Facebook today, 20 years later. I don’t remember seeing my family at graduation. There were so many people and I have no photos with them. I have a few photos with friends though. It makes me both sad and nostalgic about not having photos or a memory of seeing them. Sad for the obvious reasons and nostalgic because it reminds me of who I was then, what my relationships were like (not all bad, I promise), but also how excited I was to be graduating with my friends. It was such a happy day and I remember how excited I was to be leaving for college at The University of Alabama in less than two months. The day I was leaving for college was marked in my brain with a Sharpie. Looking back I may have missed out on some opportunities because of my focus on the future, but I was so excited it was forefront in my mind.

The 1992-1993 school year was full of construction. The freshmen were being moved up to our school for the following year. This is the only year in my education career school started after my birthday, September 10. Christmas break was extended because asbestos was uncovered during the break. The April blizzard canceled school, heat waves resulted in us getting out of school early and cold weather kept us home. Construction! Construction! Construction! This I remember. What the speakers said that day? I do not remember.

In early November I plan to board a plane to attend my 20^th reunion with Carrie. I’ll be sure to have Billy Joel on my iPhone and I promise that I will not recognize or know the names of over half the people there, but I also know we will have huge smiles on our faces as we laughingly reminisce.

Motherhood = When 7:00 am Counts as Sleeping In

Today is a no school day for my kids. I slept in until 7:00 this morning. Slept in til 7!? Seriously, my inner pre-kids self still finds it hard to believe that 7:00 is sleeping in. I was asleep last night by 10:30 which is early for me (pre or post kids) and I honestly felt so good when I woke up at 7:00 that I was afraid it was 8:00, thinking I’d abandoned my kids. Ha Ha. However, my kids are fully aware that they inherited their “early riser” gene from their dad so they didn’t think anything of it when I didn’t actually get out of bed until 7:30. They were playing so well together and continue to be 3 hours later …..aaaahhhhh.

Since this year is my 20-year high school reunion I’m going to flash back for a moment to 20 years ago today (give or take a few weeks). If memory serves me correct my high school’s morning bell was at 7:45. So that means, at 7:00 I was still sleeping only to be awoken by Carrie’s wake up call at about 7:10 or so signaling to me that she was leaving her house and would be picking me up for school in about 10 minutes. Arrived at school on time and ate my dry cereal breakfast with Caryn and/or Ashley in first period child psych. 

Full disclosure: most days I don’t get out of bed for 6:30 am.