The 2022/2023 schoolyear is over.  The last, four-day week was everything we expected it to be.  There were tears, memories, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying awake, more tears, and more.  I’m pretty sure that all attempts to teach were abandoned the previous week.  The girls had movie days, award ceremonies, and even a bubble party.  Dee Dee had baseball on Tuesday and Thursday.  So, that kept our routine somewhat intact.  But, beyond that, the week was a blur. 

My wife and I volunteered to help out with the end of the schoolyear track and field day on the last day of school.  Because of the smoke from the forest fires in Canada, the track and field day was held inside the school.  In the morning, on the walk to school I realized that I didn’t have my wallet.  The last time that I went into the school to help out with a field trip, I needed to allow the principal to scan my driver’s license when I entered the school.  So, when we were just about to the school, I turned around and ran back home to grab my wallet.  Then, I ran back to the school so I could be there when the girls went inside.  I got back in time and got to wave to Dee Dee through the doorway as she disappeared around the corner on her way to her classroom.  Then, we were invited inside and directed with other volunteers to go into the gym.  No one asked to see my driver’s license. 

There were about 30 parents standing in a circle in the gym.  We were handed a packet that listed the events and where the volunteers would be volunteering.  My wife and I found our names next to the music teacher’s name, under the title #6 Music – Music Games.  Then, the gym door opened, setting off the alarm.  The principal walked through the door, and stood and waited for the alarm to stop before she attempted to speak.  As she welcomed everyone and congratulated us on our circle, two of the mothers of kids in Audio’s class chatted and giggled, causing roughly the same amount of a racket as the alarm had.  The principal told us that since there was a chance that “even one student” might have a bad reaction to the smoke from the Canadian fires, she wasn’t going to take a chance with sending the kids outside.  When the principal was finished speaking, instead of leaving through one of the two open doors, she selected the closed door, and set off the alarm again.  The chatting moms needed to raise their voices to hear each other over the sound of the alarm. 

The music teacher welcomed us and let us know what her plan was.  Then, the first classroom of kids showed up and their teacher informed the music teacher that her plan was the same as another room’s plan.  So, the music teacher switched gears and had the kids play a game where they sit around a rug and pass a ball while there is music playing.  The music teacher was controlling the music with her phone and the idea was that when she stopped the music, whoever was holding the ball had to stand in the middle of the kids and allow them to try to strike them with the ball for ten seconds.  If they avoided being hit, they won.  If not, they sat down and the ball was passed around the group again. 

After the first few rounds, it became obvious that the music teacher wasn’t able to get the music to stop when she wanted it to.  So, the music would stop, the kid holding the ball would get excited that they would have a chance to jump around and possibly “win” the round, only to have the music teacher explain that the music was actually supposed to stop on the kid before them, sometimes two kids before them.   After a couple of classrooms had visited the room, the music teacher stopped playing that game. 

The classrooms moved around the school in groups with their teachers, spending 15 minutes in every room.  At the end of the 15 minutes, there was a beeping noise through the P.A. system and the teacher spoke to everyone, letting us know that it was time for classes to leave where they were and move on to the next room.  There were about a dozen classrooms that came through the music room.  Through birthday parties, pre-school, baseball, etc., there was at least one kid in every class that I knew.   Some of the kids we knew had more to say to us than others.  And some kids we didn’t know had a lot to say to us, including one crying girl who we’d never seen before, who told my wife that she’d missed her.  And, during a game where the kids had to move around like chickens there was a girl who decided that my belly was very peck worthy and started hitting my stomach with her nose until I convinced her to stop pecking me and peck her teacher. 

It was fun to see both girls in their school environment.  Audio was more interested in playing with her mom than with her classmates.  Dee Dee was a bit distant, but in a very natural way for a kid who is spending her last day with her class.  Audio was picked to be the wolf in the game where the kids all ran around acting like chickens.  She told us later that she doesn’t like to be the wolf.  But, she looked like she was happy as she chased all of the chickens around the music room.  Dee Dee was selected to play the part of a cat in a game where mice get up to no good and the cat has to catch them.  It didn’t seem like Dee Dee was very interested in catching the mice and then felt pretty bad when the music teacher made a loud sound to indicate that the game was over.  Dee Dee cried a bit and two of her friends consoled her.  As sad as I felt seeing her cry, it was nice to see Dee Dee receiving supporting from the girls.  Dee Dee has always been a kind and friendly kid.  Other kids obviously appreciate that about her. 

After the last class had made their way through the music room, the principal got on the loud speaker and made some comments about how they had turned lemons into lemonade and the first ever, indoor field day had been a success.  Then, she announced that if any students wanted to take their lunches outside to eat it, that would be allowed.  My wife and I had a brief exchange with the music teacher while students clogged the hallways.  We happened to then leave the room and end up directly behind Dee Dee, who didn’t acknowledge us. 

We sat at home for a bit.  It was similar to the first day of school, when we sat and talked about how it had been seven years since we had been alone, without any kids with us.  Only this time, it was the end of a chapter that included child-free days.  I assume that this summer will be like the last, only better.  We’ll go out to nature centers, playgrounds, wading pools, and we’ll work on art projects in the house.  It will be good.  At 3:10PM the alarm on my phone let me know that it was time to go pick up the girls, one last time. 

Audio came out of the school first.  She was happy and excited and was wearing a paper crown that blew off as she ran to my wife.  A short time later, we saw Dee Dee approaching.  She was crying.  Both girls had been feeling sad about the year being over and not being a second grader or high fiver again.  But it seemed to hit Dee Dee harder.  And, when she got to us, she let us know that she had just learned that Audio’s teacher (who Dee Dee also had three years ago) would not be returning to our school next year.  We saw that teacher, out saying goodbyes to kids, so we went over to her and got a picture of her with the girls.  That chance to say goodbye made things a little better.  My wife and I also thanked the teacher and then as we turned to start our walk home, the girl who had pecked my belly appeared near us.  She pointed at me, said, “I know you!” and ran over to where I was standing and started pecking my belly.