Abby's Birthday, Pt. I (feat. 8th Grade Graduation)

Hey gang.

Today was a pretty busy day, despite it being a random-ass Tuesday and everything.

First off, today is Abby's 14th Birthday, but as it falls on a typical weekday when everyone has to go to work and school and what-not, it wasn't like we were going to go all out for it - we're throwing a big party for her this coming weekend, on Saturday, when everyone actually has time to acknowledge it properly.

Abby and Ella, on their First and Last Days of Middle School. 

Secondofly, today also happened to be the day that Northeast Middle School - in their infinite wisdom - decided to throw their 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony. On a random Tuesday, in the middle of the work day, with an entire week of school still remaining. Seriously, guys - what in the actual f***. My school at least has the decency to wait until the second-to-last day of the year, so it sorta feels like a graduation ceremony. . . instead of just an hour in the middle of your day where you have to be somewhere else.

Needless to say, I didn't get to go to said Graduation Ceremony. Fortunately Kris did, and was able to provide all the pics and video you're about to see in a sec.

Abby was one of only a few All-A's Honor Roll and Conduct Award winners.

After school, Kris took Abby, Ella and the Larson kids out to Great Lakes Ice Cream for some celebratory sugar, and once I got home from work we let Abby open up a few of her birthday presents from us. Around 6pm, we met up with the Johnsons and Larsons at Big E's for a combination Abby's Birthday/8th Grade Graduation Celebration Dinner. Food was good, service was horribly slow (the norm for that place anymore), and we all got to bed at a reasonable time because, like I've said before, this was on a school night and we all had to work the next day.

So here your are, folks - a bunch a shit that happened on this random Tuesday.

Enjoy. . .

Waiting for the obligatory handshake from the school administrators. 

At my school, we present students with their folders full of certificates - what's the point of the students having them beforehand?

At least they pronounced her name right this time around (they usually pronounce our kids' names at things as 'hoe,' which - even after all these decades of hearing it - is frickin' hilarious.) Danielle's the woman who yells 'Happy Birthday' at her as she walks by, she was sitting with Kris and Mom at the ceremony.

(You can tell she loves the spotlight.)

It was unbearably hot and muggy inside this non-air conditioned gymnasium. Kinda glad I didn't get to go to this. . .

The band and orchestra each performed a song for the ceremony, too.

That loud 'bang' you hear during the song is Abby dropping her bow across her cello, which probably wasn't embarrassing for her at all. . .

After the ceremony, Abby got a picture with. . . whoever the hell this is.

Abby and her friend. . . Kiersten? I think that's it.

A forced one with the Cannonball.

Kris had to wait her turn to get a picture of Abby standing next to this old, old monolith (it was there when I went to Northeast, back in 1992.) Abby leaned up against it like this, and - according to Kris - a bunch of nearby kids and parents who had already taken their picture with it were like, 'Crap, that looks good, let's get another one with me leaning on it like that, instead.' #influencer

The Dynamic Duo (or Terrible Twosome, depending on the day.) 

. . . .aaaaand another with fellow Northeast Pommer, Nica.

After school, Kris took all the OG kids over to Great Lakes Ice Cream to celebrate. Courtney and Danielle met her up there, but the moms 'weren't allowed' to hang out with the kids, because there were other middle school graduates around and, you know, you can't be seen with your parents whilst in public. Common knowledge.

Forced .5 pic of Sophie.

And one of Ella.

Sophie, Abby, Ella and Jackson (who also graduated today.)

While our five were sitting out on the patio, enjoying their ice cream, a few different groups of fellow 8th graders arrived, and - much to everyone's chagrin - Kris insisted on getting a big, group pic of everyone (Alayna did not want her picture taken with a bunch of 8th graders, it was 'below her.')

Happy campers.

After ice cream, and once I had gotten home from my own day at work, we let Abby open up a few of the presents we had gotten her for her birthday.

Kris started decorating the house for her birthday, but most of it would go up this coming Saturday, the day of her observed party.

It might look like a simple, red box, but that son of a bitch perfume costs like $100. Nobody should spend that on a frickin' scent you put on your skin, it's stupid.

For dinner, we planned on meeting up with all the Johnsons and Larsons at Big E's, around 6:15pm. Alayna insisted on driving us there in her car, The Black Pearl (the name she chose for it.) Kris snapped a selfie of the two of us in the back seat, while Yours Truly did his best to avoid falling into an anxiety attack (riding along with my kid driving stresses me the f*** out.)

Adult end of the table, post-meal. Service was waaaaay too slow, and it took us forever to get our food, then far too long to receive our bill. Yet another reason why I prefer to eat at home. . .

While we were all not-so-patiently waiting for our bills, Alayna showed off The Black Pearl to the other kids (she's very proud of her new car.)

Heading back home, at the end of a busy Tuesday, in order to start winding down. . . seeing how we all have to get up and go to work tomorrow.

- Brian