"Back...back...back to school again"

I went back to high school a few weeks ago. It was "Parent Shadow Day" at Colin's high school and I enthusiastically signed up to shadow him for the half day of school. It wasn't until we were on our way to school (after having arranged for the little two to be at a friend's house at 7:15 AM and after dropping the arguing junior high kids off at their school) that I asked Colin if he minded me coming with him. He said he didn't mind, but let me know that I would be on my own for brunch, as he had things to do and people to see. Lucky for me, there was a parent reception at brunch, and I was able to grab a quick cup of coffee.

I was quite concerned on the attire for the day: really, can there ever be a bigger concern than what to wear? My intent was to look like a mom. I can tell you that not everyone else there shared my intent. Check out "Real Housewives of Orange County" if you want to know what I mean. And for the record: just because you can pull off the skin tight rhinestone jeans doesn't mean you should.

The principal did a nice welcome (as Junie B. might say) and then we were off to math. Math. Colin, in his first year of high school, is in the last level of math that I took in high school. On this particular day in Honors Algebra II/ Trigonometry the class was learning how to use graphing calculators - and since it was new to them, the parents could participate as well! I left with such a brain-ache. The memories of being overwhelmed by a lesson came flooding back to me. It's probably good that I experienced this sensation again. It may, perhaps, make me more sympathetic to my kids when they whine "but I don't get it!"

The highlight of my day was in English class. Colin has quite a few cheerleaders in his Freshman English class. I have very fond memories of this class - but I won't share them here. It is the internet, after all. And these are other people's children - and after this past Saturday's girls U10 soccer game fiasco, I have re-learned that you just don't ever mess with anyone else's kid. Ever. Never.
Let me leave you with a mental picture of my English class experience: a purple inked smiley face at the end of sentence. Because, you really just can't have enough of those. Sadly, I had no other parent around me to share the fun.

So going "back... back... back to school again" was a trip. I learned a lot. Got to see the campus (and my kid) in action. It's a beautiful campus - it's a relatively new one. Last year had the first graduating class. They seem to be doing well for the 2600+ kids who call it home. Home of the Wildcats (And YES! I have seen High School Musical 3. In an auditorium full of 1000 screaming kids and tweens. The tweens squeed for Zac Effron every time he showed his face on screen. And THAT was after the 10 minute Karaoke SING ALONG.) For putting up with me, he got a nice lunch out of it. I'll be back next year.