She's with the Band

The Urbandale Middle School band joined forces with the high school marching band at the football game on Friday night. Daphne directs the 7th and 8th grade bands, Char plays percussion in the 6th grade group, and I was a parent volunteer. The night was a family affair

The UMS band stood on the sidelines and played the fight song along with the upperclassmen. Char is in there somewhere.

I found her in the sea of instruments, and she had zero intrest in being photographed. 

Not that I blamed her.

Not that I put my camera away, either.

The UMS students sat with the UHS band in their appropriate instrument sections during the game. That put Charlotte on the track with the rest of the percussionists. Both bands played the fight song when UHS scored.

I snuck down there for one action shot. Char wasn't pleased. Her eye-roll was almost as loud as a drum roll.

I don't know why I got such a kick out of seeing the "Monson" name tag on her drum, but I did. 

Size is relative. There are times when Charlotte is standing in our kitchen or running around with her friends, and I think, Man, she is getting so tall. Then I see her standing by high schoolers, and I think, Man, she looks so small. 

Time is not on my side for that one, though. Some day the only little girl I'll see is in my memory. 

She's Feeling Blue and Happy About It

Char has been asking to get her hair dyed since second grade. At first she wanted to go with bright pink, but for the last few years she has asked for blue. 

Daphne would reply, "I think that's more of a middle school thing. Why don't we wait until you get into sixth grade?" The question was rhetorical. Daphne had no intention of dying Char's hair before that.

Sixth grade is here, and Char had not changed her mind. She still wanted to go blue. Daphne asked a few of her students at the middle school what they used when they dyed their hair at home. She ordered supplies from Amazon, and they got to work on it on Labor Day.

Before shots:

It's now a waiting game...

Done! She's blue! After shots:

I don't see colors very accurately. Daphne and Charlotte say that they really like the color and are happy with how it came out. Good enough for me. Daph used a semi-permanent dye, and I assume the blue will fade with time. But I hope not too quickly. Hair color is just harmless fun.

Here Comes Middle School!

I suprised Charlotte with a "The Cheat" t-shirt for a back-to-school gift. She had outgrown her last The Cheat shirt, but wanted another. Hard to believe I had to order this one in a "women's" size. 

Showing off her new middel school backpack.

Daphne now has chauffeur duties. I pulled up behind them on the way to school, but they were too deep into a conversation to notice me. 

I might have been slightly jealous...

The End of Her Elementary Days

Last Friday was Char's last day as a 5th grader.  We took a selfie after our last ride to Karen Acres together. I'll admit to tearing up a bit when I drove away.

Due to building constuction, Char had to transfer to a different school after kindergarten. We chose to send her to Karen Acres for first grade. We chose well. The last five years at this school have been so good for her. The work these teachers do humbles me.

The 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony was at two o'clock. Both Daphne and I were able to attend.

We were proud to learn that Charlotte was one of the students chosen by her peers to give a speech at the ceremony. I think it was brave for a kid who has been in speech therapy for five years and battles a stutter to stand in front of a crowd and speak.

I thought I was filming Char accepting her certificate, but I forgot to press the red record button on my phone. So, like a fool, I just watched her walk across the gym through my phone's screen. 

It's not on a certificate, but Ms. Johnston has won Char's "Favorite Teacher" award. 

The school has a "Clap Out" at the end of the ceremony. All of the students in the other grades line the halls of the school and applaud and cheer as the 5th grade parades through the building. Their walk ends outside with the parents clapping, too. 

After the Clap Out, I was able to go into KA with Char to gather her things. It was weird. Usually I walk her to her locker or room each morning, but Covid kept me out of the building. This was the first time I had seen Char's locker. 

Charlotte cried on the way to the car. Hard. Really hard. She was so sad to be leaving elementary school. Next year she be going to school with so many more kids. I understand how that could be intimating. 

I took her to Game Day to see if we could win any of the prizes in their claw machines. We did. And Char felt better.

One of her classmates was kind enough to throw a "bash" for all of the 5th graders at her house at 5:00. We dropped off Char and proceeded to drown our sorrows in drinks, chips, salsa and queso. 

Onto middle school...

Why do I have the feeling that the roller coaster is just beginning to climb the hill?