The Long and Short of It: That's a Wrap

 

I've probably forgotten something (or accidentally shared something for a second time), but *I think* this is the rest of the end of our school year all rolled into one post. 

My friends and I are releasing an album, and this will
be the cover. (JK - we're not really releasing an album.
But it we did, this would for sure be the cover.)

Plié has really started to love working in the lab with Tom.

Tom 3D prints personalized "gig 'em" thumbs
for all of his graduating masters and PhD students. 

Another weekend, another disc golf tournament.

With some of my soccer mama friends at the Girls
State Soccer Tournament. (Which we WON, by the way.)

Hallie's choir...

Sweepstakes, baby!

Waiting not-so-patiently for Will to come home.

Will's been dabbling in food presentation.

Popeye loves playing in the rain with Hallie.
He's almost up to his little knees in water here.

Another round of food presentation courtesy of Will.

Watching the sun set on a fantastic dance
year from the dance studio parking lot.

If you're having a hard time justifying a cake purchase,
write "happy birthday" to the next person celebrating on
it. It doesn't need to be their actual birthday, and they don't
need to eat the cake with you - just take a picture and send
it to them, and then you're covered. You're welcome.

Hallie's last day of school.

Junior year, here she comes!

The summer basket tradition continues! (Will got out of school a
week before Hallie, which is why he's asleep on Hallie's last day.)

Summer fun begins!

Will's suit pants, which we bought at the beginning of 
freshman year, busted open DURING graduation. They
made it from the first to the very last day of high school!

Instagram lessons for the grandmas. 

And that's a wrap, on both the school year and on The Long and Short of It series. Thanks for joining me!

I aim to return to my regular posting schedule - Tuesdays and Fridays - next week. That said, we have quite a bit of travel planned throughout the remainder of the summer and I just have no idea how these trips are going to shake out. That's summer for you though, right?

The Long and Short of It: It's Not Nothing (Graduation)

A couple of years ago, a friend who was midway through her daughter's senior year shared that she was struggling. Her feelings were layered and complex: she was excited for the significant milestones ahead - graduation and moving on to life after high school - but at her core, she was sad. Sad her daughter's high school career and extracurriculars were coming to an end...sad her daughter would soon leave for college and the dynamic in their home would change. 

An acquaintance had been part of this conversation, and after listening to my friend's feelings, the acquaintance chimed in with a response that to this day sticks with me as one of the most bizarre instances of women not supporting other women. She ridiculed my friend, telling her that her feelings - at least those of sadness - were wrong, and declared that the only acceptable emotions when a child graduates high school and ventures off on their own were happiness and excitement. My friend and I sat in stunned silence, trying to process both what we'd just been told and the fact that neither of us agreed.

Many years ago, a wise woman (the mother of this friend, incidentally) sent me an article about this stage of life. "It's not a death. It's not a tragedy. But it's not nothing either." 

Throughout the last couple of years I've been presented with quite a few opportunities to learn and then reinforce the concept that "two things can be true." This stage of life is a perfect example of that concept: my friend could feel both sad that one chapter of her life, her daughter's life, and their family's life together was coming to an end and happy and excited for her daughter. And now, I can feel both sad that one chapter of my life, Will's life, and our family's life together is coming to an end and happy and excited for Will. This is not a death, or a tragedy. But it's not nothing either. 

~

We did our graduation dinner on graduation eve, since the ceremony didn't start until 8pm, and we were joined by both my parents and Tom's parents.

Graduation took place on a warm, humid summer(esque) night, which is evident as you scroll through the pictures and look at our hair. In addition to the grandparents, my friends and their daughters/Hallie's friends joined us for the ceremony. How lucky we are to have people in our lives who show up.

One of my favorite aspects of our graduation ceremony is the "hug line" - all of the high school teachers line up to say goodbye to (and sometimes take selfies with) the seniors after they cross the stage. 

After the ceremony, everyone mingles outside - in the humidity, if you recall - until the campus police make you go home. It was a great night.

It's hard to believe this chapter - graduation, senior year, high school, his childhood - has come to an end. What a gift to have lived it so fully and to be so sad it's over.

The Long and Short of It: Classic Will (Senior Pictures)

 

Will wasn't all that enthused about taking (another round of) senior pictures - especially since we took the required yearbook, cap and gown, and diploma pictures right before the school year started - so I didn't push all that hard. Come the end of April, however, he decided he might be willing to take a few more pictures, so I quickly booked our friend Danielle (Danielle House Photography) for a short session.

Two weeks prior to the session I suggested Will get his hair trimmed. (His last cut was this one - scroll down to #4 for the story and accompanying photos - and his hair has been growing like a chia pet ever since.) He didn't do it. One week prior to the session I suggested Will get his hair trimmed. He didn't do it. On the day of the session, he woke up and declared he would get his hair trimmed...except it was Mother's Day, and not a single barber or salon was open. So that's why his hair looks the way it does - classic Will.

Two weeks prior to the session I suggested Will choose his outfits. He didn't do it. One week prior to the session I suggested Will choose his outfits. He didn't do it. Less than an hour before the session Will put on (what he thought would be) his first outfit and the shorts were...um...TIGHT. He picked a different and inferior first outfit. Then he put on (what he thought would be) his second outfit and the shorts were...um...dirty. He picked a different and inferior second outfit. So that's why his clothing looks the way it does - classic Will.

At the end of his session and after shooting some fun disc golf shots (in his perfect-for-him third outfit), we decided Will would wrap things up by jumping into the lake after one of his discs. He's done this 100 times before and doing it one more time for the camera felt like the perfect way to actually wrap up the session and symbolically wrap up his senior year. So that's why he ended the session soaking wet in the middle of a pond - classic Will.

I had a vision for what Will's senior pictures - the session and the images - would look like, and as I'm sure you've figured out by now, the end result didn't match my vision at all. The end result was better, because it was classic Will.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Classic Will.

BCS friends, I highly recommend Danielle! She fit us in last minute, delivered our photos quickly, and made the entire experience far less stressful than it could have been (especially given the hair and attire debacles 😉).