We are hitting milestones rapidly these days: SATs, college applications, IB exam registration, and senior portraits. I know it’s always been, “The days are long, but the years are short,” but this is getting ridiculous.
I swear it was just last week that I was rolling up to Skyline in my blue bug to take my own senior photos. The white cap and gown, the black drape, and some weird poses with a rose. I realized that I drove myself to these rites of passage because I could drive and I had a car. Poor Calvin, still having to rely on us as chauffeurs. It’s not too bad for him because he has a taxi allowance and quite a bit of freedom to come and go as he wants. Actually today I only came along so that he could take his photos, change out of his dress clothes and hand them off to me, and then he headed out to lunch and studying with friends while I drove home. Just call me the pack mule.
Today was standard yearbook poses. The cap and gown photos will be taken next semester. I guess to make sure he actually is graduating? (just kidding)
I will say that none of this feels real. Maybe because we are in a new school in a new country, but all of this feels like regular newness, not END OF AN ERA newness. I’m not sure when that is going to hit. Maybe this summer when we are boarding the plane to come back to AD and leaving him behind in the US? Moving on. Can’t think about that right now. The sucky part is that the closer he gets to leaving, the nicer he is to be around. A bit of maturity does amazing things for the parent/child relationship.
There were two photographers working the room and he escaped the one that was making everyone pose with the chin on hand, side tilt of the head. But the alternative pose that his photographer suggested was to untie his tie, drape it around his neck and then hold his jacket open like he was hot stuff, so I don’t know if he came out ahead. The photography session did remind me that we should probably do one more family photo session here before he graduates and all my kids start splintering off and doing their own things in life. Sigh. The best is yet to come, right?