Wendy's Moving Up Celebration

We started Wendy's Moving Up day with a hair crisis -- our wonderful hair stylist Ms. Vasia had blown out her hair straight last night and then put it in knotted twists all over her head. We had instructions as to how to untwist them and fluff them and I was to say the least, trepidacious about how that would go as hair is very much NOT MY THING. My own, or theirs. That's why we have Ms. Vasia!! So after Wendy showered and got dressed we started to untwist and it looked, as I might have predicted, ridiculous. Huge corkscrew curls going in every direction. She burst into tears and it was quite a moment. So, I went into emergency mode, calmly told her to get on her shoes and come eat breakfast and we would sort it out afterwards, and went out on the front lawn at 7:20 a.m. and called Vasia. I described the situation to her and asked (begged) if we could bring Wendy over so she could help us. She said she would call me back, so I went back inside and got as ready as possible and when the call came at 7:35 that we could come over we jumped in the car, got there at 7:45, and were on our way back to Clinton, hair looking gorgeous, at 7:55 and made it there in time for the traditional clap-in of the 5th grade. Whew, and thank goodness for wonderful Ms. Vasia!!

Here they are being clapped in:

After the clap-in I went upstairs to give the year end gifts to the teachers with the other class moms -- the end of an era, I've been a class mom as long as I've been able to be (3 years at Clinton) but no more as in the Middle School they don't really do that. Then I went downstairs and waiting in the auditorium as Chris had taken Fer home to get her book and to have some breakfast as he had missed that with our precipitate departure for the stylist's. I was the first one there by maybe 50 minutes, but no worries. Gigi and Grandad arrived around 9:30 and the ceremony started at 10. It was a lovely graduation -- the speeches by the principal, the Board of Education member and the 5th grade student council president were well done and to the point, and then the 5th graders sang 4 songs, which were interspersed with hearing from each graduate. Wendy spoke during the part where the children shared goals for the future. Her thoughts? "I am passionate about swimming and I want to be in the Olympics someday." When I learned a few weeks before (right around when swim team was starting up) that this was her sentence I expressed some surprise as she has not generally expressed that level of enthusiasm for swimming. Her response: "Well, I had to say something!" So, the jury is still out about Wendy's future plans.

Some pictures from the ceremony:

Afterwards we went outside for a reception on the front lawn, and took pictures with teachers and friends:

Then we went back to the house for family pictures and presents. The big highlight: we're going to Minnesota on Thursday!!

Afterwards, we went down to Above restaurant in South Orange for a lovely outdoor lunch. Thanks for hosting, Gigi and Grandad!

Overall it was a wonderful day. And now we have one day to pack and get ready, and then onwards to Minnesota. We are so excited to be with the Olson family and to see Hugo and Maria!