Sunday, May 25, 2014

Sunday Salon: 85%

 85%.  That is the portion of his life that my boy child has spent in the school from which he just graduated.  12 years is a long time for anyone to be anywhere.  You can imagine...he wanted out.  Now he is.  There were days (weeks, months) when we weren't sure he would achieve this goal.  If you meet my son, I guarantee you wouldn't ever meet any other kid quite like him.  Perhaps not a personality that totally meshes with a controlling Catholic community, but the dude did it.  I am proud.  
















This celebration has been going on all week.  There was a retreat, a dinner, a trip to Busch Gardens, graduation practice, all culminating to a graduation ceremony which happened Friday.  I've been busy, and distracted.  My parents are in town, and it is also my mom's birthday.  If I normally come by your blog and haven't lately, I apologize.

It is weird for me, personally, to be done with this school.  I have contributed hundreds of hours of volunteer time to this place.  Have had MANY teacher/parent meetings, mostly for the boy.  It is a new era.

Random selfie with my daughter and I, in the car ready to eat Japanese Hibachi as a graduation celebration.  Because it isn't completely about the boy.    

















Three more days of school for the girl...finals.  So we have drama and emotion going on.  But soon it will be over.  Next year she will be a junior.  For all of you that have littles, hug them and appreciate the simplicity and innocence.  It is a cliche, but they grow up in the blink of an eye.  This is a true statement.

I've been listening to audios of course, in all my running around.  I finished "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer, her second installment in the Lunar Chronicles.  Still silly and predictable, but I have become more invested in the series.  Plots thicken.  I probably would appreciate it more if I were 15 or 20 years old, but it isn't a bad bit of entertainment.  I am now a few hours into "Five Days at Memorial", an expose on the conditions of a hospital in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.  Good but unnerving stuff.

In print I read "Angel's Gate" by Anne Carter (
nee Pam Ripling), part of a historical supernatural mystery series that involves lighthouses. This is the third installment, and they are awesome.  I also quickly read "Hidden:  A Child's Story of the Holocaust" which is a graphic novel that very superficially covers this tragedy for the benefit of the young reader.  I also quickly read "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart, the IT book to read this summer.  I loved it for a million reasons...if you want them, just click through to my link.  You definitely must pick this one up this summer!!!  

Because I love Pam Ripling's writing so much, I dove into the other e-book she sent me called "Unmasking Paulie Bingham", a love story about a bi-sexual glam rocker and his passionate, turbulent relationship with his best friend/wife.  Not your typical love story, but completely un-put-downable.  Pam said her loyal "love story crowd" didn't know quite what to think about this book, but for me personally, it is the anthem to friendship, loyalty, and living the life that helps fulfill who you are as a person.  I can't wait to write about this one on Goodreads.

I'm a little funkish that Game of Thrones isn't on this weekend, but for graduation, I bought my son the Game of Thrones Pop Up Book of Westeros, which is FREAKING AMAZING.  Not only does it have various castles, but it has small pop-ups on the side and histories of each area.  The entire book can be deconstructed into a map-type spread.  We were sprawled out on the floor for hours messing with it.


 


Hope everyone has grand plans for this long weekend.  We saw "Godzilla" yesterday (corny but fun to watch), and would love to also catch the X Men movie as well...maybe Monday.  We are also thinking about a round of golf, and some grilling and swimming in the pool.

Here is to the upcoming end of May!




14 comments:

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Wow, that pop up book does look amazing! So do those kids! :--)

JoAnn said...

Hurray!! He did it!!! Congratulations!
It's a really strange feeling to be done with a school that's been such a big part of your life, but you'll be surprised how easily you'll fill up those hours spent volunteering :-)

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) said...

Yay, graduation! It's such a fun, scary, wonderful time. I loved Five Days at Memorial even though it is unnerving.

bermudaonion said...

Congratulations to your son! Does your daughter have her driver's license? You look so relaxed there in the back seat.

Unknown said...

Both of your kids are so good looking! Nick has been driving on his own for just over a month...it's nerve wracking but he's doing well. We are on similar track, 3 days until summer break, and finals this week! I'm so ready for summer too!!

Athira said...

Congrats to your son! Also, all the best to your daughter! Sounds like a lot going on.

I did NOT know that there is no GoT tonight, oh what a bummer. One more hour left for the show to air, and now I have nothing to look forward to. :pout:

Melody said...

Congrats to your son!!
I'll have to check out "We Are Liars"... I keep seeing this book everywhere!

Beth F said...

Woo hoo on the boy!!!

I want that pop-up book!!!

Kathleen said...

Congratulations Sandy!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

There is a Game of Thrones Pop Up Book?!??!! I want it. Your daughter is lovely and definitely go see X-Men, it was so good!

Alyce said...

I'm not into Game of Thrones, but that pop-up book looks really cool! Congrats to your son and good luck to your daughter on her finals! I am planning to read We Were Liars just as soon as I can get my hands on a library copy. I read an excerpt in the new Buzz Books though and it looks good.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!!!!

I with Alyce....not a fan of Game of Thrones but I love a good pop-up book. Do you have the Pop-up Book of Phobias? I love that one...

Literary Feline said...

Congratulations to your son--and to you for surviving all those years along with him. :-) It sounds like the long celebration was well worth it.

I'm not familiar with Anne Carter or Pam Ripling, but her series sounds like something I would like. I'll have to add it to my wish list.

Have a great week, Sandy!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful kids! Thanks for the reminder to get in all the hugs and kissess and snuggles I can. I'm working so hard to get him grown up right that I have to remind myself he's only going to be three for a little while.