Middle School Problems

                                  
So guess what I did this week? Attended Middle School orientation with my oldest daughter. Middle School. Middle school in our city is 5th-8th grade, and in just 2 short weeks my daughter will be a 5th grader. Yikes! I waited at the front of the school as the buses from the elementary school rolled up and unloaded all of the 4th graders and they were ushered into the auditorium. I found my daughter and sat next to her and surveyed the room. I observed all the other parents, sitting anxiously. The principal came out and talked about the school and the programs and then the 5th grade teachers were introduced. Then these 8th graders came in with trashcans and entertained us.

It was amazeballs. Then we were assigned 2 kids to show us around the school and give us a tour. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. They were telling us how everything works. Fifth grade is the last year for recess and then after that there is no more fun. They change for gym. It's the middle school life. They keep the 5th graders in their own wing, which I'm happy about. I couldn't figure out if some of there kids are 8th graders or college students. I don't know what they are putting in the meat- but lord in heaven, 8th graders are 5 ft 10 and have mustaches. I held my composure through the entire thing. Until the tour was over. I kissed her head and watched her walk to her bus. It reminded me of the day in May when she "graduated" from kindergarten and all the little ones made the march from the little play ground to the big kid playground. It was just too much for me. I sat down in my car and had a good cry. The kids are only little for a half a minute. It's so unfair.

School is almost out and a few weeks ago the kids were pestering us to buy them yearbooks. I think yearbooks in elementary school are ridiculous, I don't remember having a year book in elementary school but none the less, I shelled out $40 for year books. The kids brought them home and I flipped through them. Their friends signed them and wrote things like, "You are a nice girl" , "HAGS" -which means "Have a good summer", my daughter rolled her eyes when I asked what it was. I was just glad they weren't talking about me.  There was a lot of "YOLO" written in their year books. I don't like YOLO. For the longest time, I didn't know what YOLO even meant. It seemed like something that didn't apply to me. Finally, I googled it. I typed into my search bar: What does YOLO mean? It was sad. I realized in that moment that I wasn't cool anymore. I don't like YOLO because no one says it before or after they make a good decision. This is how the term applies to my life: I should clean the bathroom, but instead I'm going to read the news. YOLO!!! Not cool at all. Totally lame.

I dug out my year book after flipping through theirs - I was feeling a bit nostalgic. People wrote some of the nastiest, most trash-mouth things in my year book, that I would never even dare let my kids see it. Terrible. And then, there is the picture. I will never forget having that senior picture done. The photographer handed me the stupid thing to wear and it was really kind of low and off the shoulder. I was like, "I think this should be higher." He said, "No, you look great." Pig. So, when you open the page I am on - you see all the boys in tuxes and all the girls looking so pretty and classy and then there is me - with the stupid dress thing halfway down my chest with an unbelievable amount of cleavage showing  - which is an illusion that I, to this day, have never been able to replicate. I look like a complete skank. I shudder every time I see it. I tucked it away - my girls will never see that thing. Maybe 55 years from now, when they are clearing out my house but not before then.

With the rate things are going, I will be getting ready for my daughter's graduation before I know it. I'll make sure the pictures are appropriate. Well, I better wrap it up. I have a house to clean. YOLO!