So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Graduation has happened and our graduate walked across the stage with the grace and elegance we knew she would.  Her momma cried only a little wet eye and we celebrated as a family that night.  Then everyone began to leave.
It is hard to say good bye.  After graduation ends we never know when or if we will ever see some of these people again. (Negative comments could go here).  The end of the school year brings that same question of doubt to many of the children attending international schools and their parents.  Families move post and businesses relocate employees, students graduate and families move along with the current.  This is quite a ride we are on but the friends we have made along the way are painfully wonderful.
We said good bye to many friends we have made here in India and we will say good bye to more friends as we continue to live here. But it is all good.  We are meeting so many people to fill our lives with more happiness and friendship along this adventurous path.  I wouldn't trade a minute with my Delhi born Indian neighbor who showed me the way around our hood.  Or the time we spent on our roof AND the neighbor's roof celebrating Holi with neighbors and friends two years in a row.   I will miss my partner in crime with the PSA works.  I will miss all of my many, many many seven cities fellow members who are leaving this summer and I can't believe my whole small group (the three of you) left me behind in one fell swoop.  My blogger friends who have moved on to bigger and better pastures.  Keep blogging girl.  Our family will miss friends moving off to colleges all around the world.  Friends moving to Australia, UK, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, Jamaica and Mozambique only to name a few that I can think of off the top of my head.  Friends are moving all across the US relocating to California, Washington, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, New York and Virginia.  Thank you for all the memories and go make more, many more where you plant roots next in your life.  You will be missed here but surely not forgotten.  Love to you friend and safe travels where ever you go!
As for me, I will help pack up our graduate and cherish our time with her, just her, this June.  Kid Middle and Three have returned to the US with Grandma for a full summer of "party in the USA" .  We will meet up as a family for some summer visits before Kid One branches off on her own adventure to start college.
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly...Goodbye.  Goodbye.  Goodbye!

And they are off...

     In the lead there is a three way tie.  All of our kids are racing into the new school year with full excitement, vigor and joy to be back with friends.  So much of our summer was spent away from each other.  Away from family for three of us and also away from all those we have met here in Delhi.  This place clears out the day school finishes in May and doesn’t fill back up until hours before school is to begin.  Many of those who stay through the summer in Delhi are either on their way to another location or waiting until a week or so to pass before they travel. 

School tours were given and supplies organized, combinations memorized and phone numbers shared.  The excitement for school to start is contagious and it is fun to wrap one’s self into it.  School at AES has been in full swing for three full weeks.  I was fortunate to help with tours for new families at the AES campus.  Slightly ironic given I haven’t been here a year and some questions were dealing with the beginning of the school year calendar.  I am a proud badge wearer of the “I don’t know” club but I am willing to help us find out. 
     This week we have been reading about our family and friends back in the states beginning the school year the way we knew the beginning to be, and it's happening without us.  I still receive email messages from the school district we left behind and keep in touch reading on face book and friend’s blog sites but it leaves a slight twang of “missing you” singing in my heart.  The world we know, half a globe away is still marching on and doing quite well without us. Naturally, (insert eye roll here).   Hand prints are placed on the walls of the high school and our senior’s is missing (although you can look for her name thereJ).  Middle school is fretted over and prepared for so thoroughly with the program we left behind.  I feel much of the transition here was from our home schooling and preparing while we had little to do this summer. (I miss Mrs. D principal at the middle school).  And this is our last year with an elementary school student.  Fifth grade is huge and a fifth grade teacher is one of the most remembered teachers in the human memory. *
     So as we all march ahead into a new school year with smiling faces and joy in our hearts know that we also remember when, how, and where it used to be and are fondly thinking of all of you too.  Cheers to the first day of school for all of you. Ting You are in our thoughts and we hope your messages fill our bags and boxes with stories of your first day/week back to school.  If this were a race that would make us...starting three weeks earlier than you.

*This research is taken from my own opinion and the opinion of those around me.

It's the end of the year as we know it

The 2010-11 school year ended here in Delhi and in the American Embassy School.  Summer break officially starts Monday, May 30 (memorial day in the USA).  There was a school assembly for all three schools (elementary, middle and high school) on Friday to say farewell to the parting staff, faculty and students.  Wow, people change out around here!  Lots of people moving on to other posts, some going back to their country of origin and even some just moving to other parts of India.  All kinds of moving, changing, crying, celebrating, hugging, sharing, packing, leaving, vacationing and even some staying.
We are approaching six months since our arrival here in Delhi and WOW, what a six months that has been.  I am amazed at our kids acceptance of the moving, changing, crying, celebrating, hugging, sharing, packing, leaving, vacationing and even staying.  Shoot, I am amazed at all of our acceptance of...the ings.
The assembly at the elementary school was in the gym where the graduation was held the night before.  Beautifully decorated with school colors draped on the ceiling and walls.  Flower garland hanging throughout making the place smell of garden.  It was beautiful to see and experience.  The farewell was tender and sincere.  I am still reeling in the disbelief of the number of changes.  I am amazed that this well oiled machine we call school can have so many changes from year to year and still churn out such a successful year again and again.  I am amazed at the number of people I met that are moving on.  I am amazed at the ability of the people to move with such poise, such confidence, such joy onto their next place to live.  Some of these people knew for some time they would be moving, some knew just last week of their plans.  Amazing, right.
I have heard it said and read it many different ways but the statement that whatever is said about India, the opposite is also true as well.  The two oppositions play a part of every day.  The last day of school was no exception.  It was happy and sad as most farewells tend to be.  So long our friends we have made and welcome to our new friends that are about to arrive.

Our Ship Has Come In

Our ground shipment that is.  We received our belongings from our stateside home a week ago. 

(above) Our GREAT room not looking so great.
Kid three has called this the Wii shipment since it left the house and is anxiously awaiting my approval of location where the Wii will be set up in our new home. 

(above) Wii waiting for the proper plug arrangements to be made in the India home. This could qualify as Christmas number ten.  We wanted hangers, real hangers with the neck and all, now we finally have some.

(above) I was warned I would want hangers, the real ones we know and love, so I packed them, and then I missed them.  It is sort of like the multiplication by 9 tricks.  You hear about it and maybe are a little curious about it but until you really know and experience it, you truly don't understand how wonderful it really is.
Kid middle recovered from her stomach ailment in time to join the fifth grade class trip to Ronthanbore and took some impressive photos.

(above) A view from above in Ronthanbore.
She saw many birds and learning the appreciation of bird watching from her grandparents. She snapped many photos of different birds.

(above) a peahen

(above) a partridge

(above) a Tree pie

(above) a spotted owlet

She also saw a lot of other wild life;



And what everyone goes to Ronthanbore to see...the tigers, she saw prints to show tigers had been here.

(above) and even a tiger on one path.  An unbelievable experience!



She recently was put in touch with a viola so she can start to play again here in India.  She has missed her instrument and it feels so cruel to tell a child you can't play music when there is such a desire to do so.
Kid one now has a transcript from her stateside school showing she completed the first semester and has grades to prove that accomplishment.  She is now a full time student at AES and only AES which is a load off her plate.
The mister and I have been buying furniture to store our belongings in.  Closets are not something Indian homes have much of and we are finding we are quite fond of putting things out of sight.  Shopping for wardrobes and cabinets has become our weekend habit.

First Day of AES school

The kids all started school on Tuesday, January 4.  We have a car and driver rented for the week so we all rode together to the school.  I walked the elementary kids to the school and into their classrooms.  High school kid one ditched us at the gate after entering the campus.  She made arrangements with a friend the weekend before to meet up before school on the first day.  After the kids were all tucked into their classrooms I then went to a parent orientation and went around the school trying to get a few more business matters set up before I left campus.  Tried to arrange some after school activities, talked with the manager of lunch services about gluten-free options for the girls, filled out emergency contact forms for both the elementary and high school, just busy work, then left campus.
During parent orientation it was emphasized that as a parent we all need to take a deep breath, our kids had all made it into their classrooms and everything is going to be great for them.  I left campus knowing I was ordered to relax.  We had a longer than average drive home but I was ordered to relax so I didn't concern myself with the roads.
In the afternoon the driver and I went back to the school to gather the kids for our ride home.  When I met the kids I asked them to think of their answer and at dinner we discussed the best and worst of the day.  The answers are telling of how the day went for all three of them.
Kid one answered:  Worst was math class because the teacher gave an evaluation to the class on the first day back.
Best was Spanish class with a great teacher and awesome people.
Kid middle: Worst was lunch period was too short (mostly because she was talking so much she didn't have time to eat her whole lunch)
Best was she made a lot of new friends.
Kid three: Worst was he had forgotten to take a jacket with him to PE and the class was held outside in the cold 52 degree F.
Best was everything else.
And this type of attitude was how the week continued.  We just finished our first week of school at AES and the kids all LOVE their new school and all are making lots of new friends.  They have started taking the bus sometimes to school but often home after school and that too is not as bad as all had thought.  Although kid one is hoping we change our mind soon and just let the car and driver take them both ways.