Last day of school

Ready or not, here comes summer.

R: Mom! Why do you have to take a picture. 

Me: Because it's tradition and even though you're cool now I'm still taking your picture on the first and last day of school.

R: I've always been cool. Cool from the womb to the tomb. 

Couldn't get him to smile.

At the jr high, the second to last day of school was optional. Really? The 7th and 8th grade kids who didn't go to Boondocks Family Fun Center could be checked out by their parents or excused for the day. The 9th graders had Lagoon day or the same thing. We were going to make Ridge go even though "none of my friends are going!" I called the school and was kind of shocked to hear that it was optional. Doesn't seem to be sending the right message. I know the last few days of school are a wash, just there to fill the required district days, but to have it be optional doesn't seem right. 

And today after 9:30, the jr high kids were free to leave school whenever they wanted. Ridge informed me that he would be walking the "trail of tears." It's tradition for kids to walk from the jr high to a local diner and the high school kids drive by and try to peg the walkers with water balloons. Hmm. I've been trying to remember my last day of 7th grade and I can't picture it at all. I'm pretty sure that my 7th grade self would not have wanted to be a water balloon target. High school kids scared me. The guys all seemed so big and ape-like while the girls confident and pretty. For Ridge, there couldn't be a better after school plan. 

I did not pose the kids. After I took the picture I noticed they were all standing alike. Why is this the pose when mom says take a picture? I think Massi was still waking up because I couldn't get him to look at me. 

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And here the girls were screaming "last day of school" but Cannon was still in his pose, he didn't want to look excited and Massi was worried about knocking down his dinosaur. 

It has been nice for all of us to live so close to the elementary school that the kids can leave the house with only 5 minutes to spare and get there on time.