Graduations Galore!

Sometimes little things really bring home the fact that Duane and I were 30-something parents instead of 20-something parents. I wouldn't change a thing about my relationship with Duane unless it would be that we would have found each other earlier.  One thing that really brings that home is the fact so many of our friends/family who are our age having children graduating high school this year. We're celebrating the accomplishments of no less than 5 graduates that we know or are related to.

Yesterday we went to two graduation parties - one for the daughter of Duane's cousin and one for the son of some good friends. Despite the fact that we were gone from home from about 1:30 until about 8:00, the boys did really well and seemed to have a great time.

Seeing the boys at the two parties made me very aware of the differences in their personalities. At the first party, the boys didn't really know anyone well and there were no kids their age. Wesley sat a table most of the time and looked at his books. He did jump on the trampoline for about 2 minutes, but he was very content to be amongst the adults and keep himself busy. Ryan saw croquet and badminton and kickball and was perfectly content.  By the end of our time there, he was hanging out with a group of kids who were 5-8 years older than him and had made friends with the cats a the house.

Duane giving Ryan some croquet pointers

At the second party, there were a lot more kids close to the boys' age - and it was at a park. Wesley quickly made friends with a boy his age, but they kind of picked on Ryan a little. Ryan wound up hanging around the shelter house with one child in particular. Our friend (the dad of this family) is a scout leader, so he kept one of his sons and Ryan pretty busy with knots, chopping wood for the fire and stuff like that.

Our friend demonstrating a few knots to Ryan

Ryan was ready to try some of those knots on his own

"Knot" bad

Chopping some wood for the fire

Tending the fire - okay, really he was poking at the fire with a stick, but when you're five that totally counts as tending it.

Wesley got some camera pointers from Rusty and is well on his way to his photography beltloop

Ready to shoot

The graduation guy! 

Walrus Ryan

No parties on the docket today, but we do have a little surprise planned for the boys - with the help of Grandma and Grandpa P. I think they'll like it!