Graduation Night
Last night one of my eleventy-billion nieces and nephews graduated from Pre-K at his daycare. Phoenix. I know I've mentioned him before. Little blond kid, kind of adorable, but we seriously butt heads? Stubborn, smart, emotionally scarred?
Anyway, the whole was a bit awkward and surreal. I mean, we drove in at the same time as Jonah and Emilee, but they didn't notice us, even though we walked behind them the whole way to the gym where the ceremony was to be held. My niece, Lily, spotted us, but she shot me a mean look and turned away. It was all very Twilight Zone.
We get in and sit down and it is as if we are the last people to get there. The place is packed with parents and family members. At least we weren't going to look too out of place, right? Adam, Jonah and I made small talk. Emilee barely said two words to us, but that is rapidly becoming her normal personality, so I don't even take offense anymore. She's just standoffish. Some people are just like that.
At any rate, eventually Reba, Adam's mom, got there and sat on the side with us. Lorri, Emilee's mom, and Jess, Emilee's bestie, showed up and sat on the other side of the row. There was this gap of chairs and Jonah was just sitting there, kind of by himself. It was, weird, I guess. Like, even though we were all there to support Phoenix, we were obviously not a cohesive family unit. The situation was doubly weird because I have always felt like Adam's family has had the ability to meld families together. Reba and Mike married when the boys were teenagers and Mike's family was instantly part of it and there is like, no seam. There are physical differences, but we've never made the “step” distinction. I guess in-laws are different.
Except, well, they've never treated me or my Mom or any of my visiting family like anything other than just family. We're all family.
Being me, I became instantly worried that Phoenix and Lily would realize that we don't know how to get along and it would hurt them, way in the future. Or now. Mostly I was worried about them. And how we come across as a bunch of douches because we're grown ups and can't manage to get along.
As for the night, well, it was good. I think that I am not totally normal. I laughed when I shouldn't have.
Okay, so they had to come down the hall to music, but the kids got lost(?) and wouldn't come down the hall, even though they were playing the “Ants Go Marching” song and I totally would've marched. Like a Champ! They did come down the hallway and up the little kiddie bleachers. They were all wearing these orange robes and hats and I laughed because I could picture them in prison jumpsuits and it was all very improper of me, but I think like that.
We all stood for the pledge of allegiance and I wondered, horribly, why they were learning it because I was fairly certain it was taken out of the school environment? Maybe it got put back in and I didn't notice. I am not in school, after all.
The kids, to prove that they'd earned their diplomas, all had to sing these songs. They spelled things and counted and told us the days of the week. Adam and I had to keep looking at the flier to tell us what we were supposed to be hearing because, damn, those kids didn't make any sense.
Adam was mean and pointed out a less-than-attractive kid. Adam nicknamed the poor thing “Jojo” and I laughed, but I felt bad for doing it. Turns out “Jojo” was the most well-behaved and accurate performer of the entire group. He knew all the words, the little dance moves, and he didn't fidget or try to take off his hat, or run away. I liked him.
It was kind of sad, for me, to listen to the kids shout out what they wanted to be when they grew up. Three army men, four race car drivers, a cop, a cheerleader, a ballerina, two motorcycle riders, three mumbles I didn't understand and then, my favorite: A little kid named Ayden (it was spelled that way on the flier) said that he wanted to be a spy. When he announced that Adam leaned over and whispered, “Did you have a secret love-child and not tell me?”
After the kids figured out how to toss their hats we all had cake and took too many pictures to be decent. I mean, seriously? Phoenix wouldn't smile in any of them. He just wanted to be out of the itchy orange robe and running around.
Lily did eventually warm up to us. She was, according to Emilee, in an awful mood and had been so all day. I could deal with that. I did get a hug out of her and Adam got to play some ball with her.
Phoenix gave me a High-Five and a fist bump. I've trained him well. Then, he ruined it by squeezing me so hard that I thought I would bust. He missed me and was glad that I wasn't sick anymore.
Me, too.
After the kids cleared out and I made inappropriate comments about Dead Wayne in front of Lorri and Jess; Reba, Adam and I stood around talking for an hour. It was good. I know that I will be seeing her on Sunday for the family thing, but we had some time alone. The three of us are different when we are alone. We get along. We can talk about everything and it doesn't mess things up. Mostly they aren't talkers, this family. They keep in touch and they support each other but, feelings? Nah, no thanks.
Adam says I just bring out the best (and worse) in his mom and he likes to let the two of us riff for a while. There's never any tears (Reba's a crier) and there is always laughter. He says that I take good care of his mom.
Of course, he said I took good care of Dead Wayne, too, so maybe he's skewed.
I will admit there were a couple of times that I made the night about me and what I'll never have with Mazzy, but I kept it to myself and didn't actually cry. Go me. Bonus points.
Now, I just have to get through today and tomorrow and the Sunday is the family BBQ thing at the Lake House. I'm actually looking forward to it. I want to see what they've done to the place. Lots of building this year. Remodeling. It should be exciting.
Anyway, the whole was a bit awkward and surreal. I mean, we drove in at the same time as Jonah and Emilee, but they didn't notice us, even though we walked behind them the whole way to the gym where the ceremony was to be held. My niece, Lily, spotted us, but she shot me a mean look and turned away. It was all very Twilight Zone.
We get in and sit down and it is as if we are the last people to get there. The place is packed with parents and family members. At least we weren't going to look too out of place, right? Adam, Jonah and I made small talk. Emilee barely said two words to us, but that is rapidly becoming her normal personality, so I don't even take offense anymore. She's just standoffish. Some people are just like that.
At any rate, eventually Reba, Adam's mom, got there and sat on the side with us. Lorri, Emilee's mom, and Jess, Emilee's bestie, showed up and sat on the other side of the row. There was this gap of chairs and Jonah was just sitting there, kind of by himself. It was, weird, I guess. Like, even though we were all there to support Phoenix, we were obviously not a cohesive family unit. The situation was doubly weird because I have always felt like Adam's family has had the ability to meld families together. Reba and Mike married when the boys were teenagers and Mike's family was instantly part of it and there is like, no seam. There are physical differences, but we've never made the “step” distinction. I guess in-laws are different.
Except, well, they've never treated me or my Mom or any of my visiting family like anything other than just family. We're all family.
Being me, I became instantly worried that Phoenix and Lily would realize that we don't know how to get along and it would hurt them, way in the future. Or now. Mostly I was worried about them. And how we come across as a bunch of douches because we're grown ups and can't manage to get along.
As for the night, well, it was good. I think that I am not totally normal. I laughed when I shouldn't have.
Okay, so they had to come down the hall to music, but the kids got lost(?) and wouldn't come down the hall, even though they were playing the “Ants Go Marching” song and I totally would've marched. Like a Champ! They did come down the hallway and up the little kiddie bleachers. They were all wearing these orange robes and hats and I laughed because I could picture them in prison jumpsuits and it was all very improper of me, but I think like that.
We all stood for the pledge of allegiance and I wondered, horribly, why they were learning it because I was fairly certain it was taken out of the school environment? Maybe it got put back in and I didn't notice. I am not in school, after all.
The kids, to prove that they'd earned their diplomas, all had to sing these songs. They spelled things and counted and told us the days of the week. Adam and I had to keep looking at the flier to tell us what we were supposed to be hearing because, damn, those kids didn't make any sense.
Adam was mean and pointed out a less-than-attractive kid. Adam nicknamed the poor thing “Jojo” and I laughed, but I felt bad for doing it. Turns out “Jojo” was the most well-behaved and accurate performer of the entire group. He knew all the words, the little dance moves, and he didn't fidget or try to take off his hat, or run away. I liked him.
It was kind of sad, for me, to listen to the kids shout out what they wanted to be when they grew up. Three army men, four race car drivers, a cop, a cheerleader, a ballerina, two motorcycle riders, three mumbles I didn't understand and then, my favorite: A little kid named Ayden (it was spelled that way on the flier) said that he wanted to be a spy. When he announced that Adam leaned over and whispered, “Did you have a secret love-child and not tell me?”
After the kids figured out how to toss their hats we all had cake and took too many pictures to be decent. I mean, seriously? Phoenix wouldn't smile in any of them. He just wanted to be out of the itchy orange robe and running around.
Lily did eventually warm up to us. She was, according to Emilee, in an awful mood and had been so all day. I could deal with that. I did get a hug out of her and Adam got to play some ball with her.
Phoenix gave me a High-Five and a fist bump. I've trained him well. Then, he ruined it by squeezing me so hard that I thought I would bust. He missed me and was glad that I wasn't sick anymore.
Me, too.
After the kids cleared out and I made inappropriate comments about Dead Wayne in front of Lorri and Jess; Reba, Adam and I stood around talking for an hour. It was good. I know that I will be seeing her on Sunday for the family thing, but we had some time alone. The three of us are different when we are alone. We get along. We can talk about everything and it doesn't mess things up. Mostly they aren't talkers, this family. They keep in touch and they support each other but, feelings? Nah, no thanks.
Adam says I just bring out the best (and worse) in his mom and he likes to let the two of us riff for a while. There's never any tears (Reba's a crier) and there is always laughter. He says that I take good care of his mom.
Of course, he said I took good care of Dead Wayne, too, so maybe he's skewed.
I will admit there were a couple of times that I made the night about me and what I'll never have with Mazzy, but I kept it to myself and didn't actually cry. Go me. Bonus points.
Now, I just have to get through today and tomorrow and the Sunday is the family BBQ thing at the Lake House. I'm actually looking forward to it. I want to see what they've done to the place. Lots of building this year. Remodeling. It should be exciting.
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