Alex' 2nd Kindergarten Graduation

We made it!! We did it!! We survived!! We stuck with it!! Looking back I would do it all over again. If you have read previous posts about our public school experiences, you can appreciate this one. If you haven't read them, please do.

So, Alex graduated yet again, from kindergarten. One time in the US and one time in Mexico. She attended kindergarten here a second time for language reasons. Graduation is a big deal here. Ozzy remembers talk of the kid's "graduation outfits" all the way back in November. Throughout the year, Ozzy and I both attended many meetings with and without translator help. Ozzy attended some where he was the only man there while the moms spent an hour or so discussing dress "color" options.

So the big day was July 5. And I was actually off work. A little because of my transfer to Atlanta and a little because July 4 was in the middle of the week. Anyway, I am so glad that I did not miss this graduation.

So the seating was at 11:30 or in Mexico time, 12:30. Alex took her seat, and Ozzy and I wandered around wondering what was going on. Just before it started a friend of ours, Sergio and his wife Yohana approached us and wanted to walk Alex to get her diploma. Unkown to us this is a tradition, that the God Parents or relative walk the child up to gather their diploma.

We had no idea that this was going to happen and were so grateful to Sergio and Yohana. First reason being that Alex would have walked alone up to receive her diploma because we simply didn't know what tradition was and secondly because Sergio and Yohana thought about this even before the graduation and wanted to act as Alex's God Parents. They even came prepared with a customary gift they presented to Alex when her name was called. Sergio and his family all were born and raised in Sayulita, so they are obviously very local for many generations. We have surfed with him, traveled with him and like him and his family very much. Actually, Sergio's nephew, Enrique, is amigos with Trace and also graduated this day. When Enrique was crowned King for the primavera celebration, Alex and Trace rode with him in his float/truck for the parade. Check out the "Spring Pageant and Parade" blog post in March.

In between the diplomas the kids all sang a song and Maestra walked around with the microphone. She chose to put it up to Alex to sing into. So, just imagine, the only tall, blond, American, in a Mexico public school belting out a song into a microphone in "perfect" spanish in front of more than one hundred locals, who probably thought back on November that this family will never last in this school. I was so proud of Alex. I was also proud our family for staying in this school, sticking with our goal even though it was so tough at times, especially for me. I just wanted to give up sometimes. Ozzy and I would also like to think that many of the parents of the school saw how hard we tried, how we did what was expected, participated, how we didn't give up. Many now say "hola" to us on the street and around town with huge smiles. The moms would give important information to Ozzy, on their own free will, to help him figure out what he needed to do or not do. In a way, they looked out for him and he would always be so excited when he would tell me about a certain mom stopping him to tell him this or that.

After the diplomas the kids all did a dance and Alex danced with Fernando. I think he used to give Alex and Trace a hard time when they first started school, but they all became friends.

If you couldn't guess the pictures below with the yellow gown are graduation from Park City one year ago and the ones with the Pink gown are from Mexico last week.

So ends a small chapter in our "Adventure". In only six weeks or so Alex and Trace will be off to school again. For now, summer camp and lots of surfing to stay cool.