5th Graders "Clapped Out"

Today, my 11yo DS, "R" had his last day at the elementary school. Here in our district, 6th graders go to one of two 6th-grade-only schools, so he will be moving on to one of those schools next year. At the end of the day, all of the other students lined up on the playground to wait for the fifth graders to come outside. Parents who could arrange to be there lined up too, with their cameras in hand. Soon the doors were propped open and the first few students could be seen, helium balloons in their hands.

Why did my eyes suddenly fill with tears?

I held my camera up in the air and snapped shots of the children emerging, unable to check the focus but wanting to capture whatever I could. I couldn't tell when my son's class arrived until I pulled the camera down and glimpsed one of his friends in the screen. I popped the camera back up in the air and shot a few more photos.

My son and his best friend managed to be the last two fifth graders out of the building. When "C's" mother asked WHY he was last, "C" looked surprised. "I was?"

I am having a hard time accepting that "R" is growing up. I was looking at something this weekend, pricing something or other, and it showed that children aged 9 and up paid the adult price, and I thought, "Oh, 'R' is 9; he pays full price now, goodness!" It wasn't until this afternoon that I realized that "R" is 11, and "B" is 9. BOTH my boys are full price now. How did this happen?

The 5th graders stood on the playground and released their balloons into the blue sky. Teachers gave hugs and told their students to come back and say hello when they could. We loaded into the van and drove home. It is the end of an era.

Now, hello, Summer!