Do you remember your last day of school, at any grade level, from K – 12? I sort of remember my 8th grade and something like 10th, but I can’t say that I remember either of them very well. Kiana and Kendall got out of school today. Kiana’s last day of 5th grade, and Kendall’s last day of 8th.
Kendall had a number of exit exams, and seems to have done well enough to get out of 8th grade, and into whatever level of classes are offered at Wimberley High School. He’s done well, and we’re proud of the education he’s had so far, but also how much he puts into it. He studies hard, completes his work without prodding, participates in class, gets good marks, and is widely respected by his teachers and peers. Kiana, without the pressures of full middle school exit exams, has been able to get through the week of parties and field days with grace. Her fifth grade year has been excellent, outside of our disappointment in one of her instructors. She’s found her voice in her writing (including poetry and songwriting), and her math and science enthusiasm and marks are outstanding. She puts in so much effort – more than is expected - and her teachers appreciate not only her academics, but also her leadership in the classroom.
Both of their music has come so far this year. Thanks to Dr. Woodard’s (Kendall’s choral instructor) interest in his singing, Kendall tried out for the Georgia All-State Choir. He made the cut, went to All-State, and had a fantastic experience. Parallel to, and (I believe) enabled/encouraged by that success, Kendall has started to sing on his own – both with the four-piece rock band he put together, and solo with a guitar. His band performed a couple of times for their peers at school, and he actually performed solo three separate times: at the 8th grade dance, at a friend’s end-of-year party, and at a charity fundraiser, where he helped raise some money for a local teen’s bone marrow transplant. Quite a year, by any musical standards. Kiana, too, has had a very solid year of musical progress. She’s gaining fast on Kendall, in the piano books – threatening to catch him in the next year. She moved from the electric to the acoustic guitar, in an effort to be more a a singer/songwriter/player than the burgeoning electric front-person. Her chord progressions, and her overall ‘feel’ for the music are better than ever – I’m so glad she’ll have an outlet for what I’m sure will be some real teenage girl angst in her coming years.
I hope today’s last day of school is memorable for these kids. I plan to remind them of their progress. It doesn’t seem like that long ago we had a couple of kids. Now we have some rather independent young people, a teen and a tween. I couldn’t be prouder of both of them (as if you needed me to point that out, after this glowing post), and I’m glad to be a part of their lives. It’s their last day of school in Atlanta – and just the start of great things where we’re going.
Move day is fast approaching. Packers are here on the 25th, movers here on the 26th, and they promise to deliver to the temporary residence in Wimberley between the 30th and the 3rd. That gives us about 12 days to be ready to go. Fortunately, we’ve been anticipating this move for quite a while.
Now both kids have a cell phone. Kendall has had one for about a year, and I have to say it’s come in quite handy. He’s done a great job of managing the use of his phone, and controlling the urge to use the phone inappropriately (whether time of day or types of downloads). We got Kiana a cell phone this week, and we gave it to her last night, as a part of the end-of-school-year celebration. 
