“I just deposited lunch money into the portal for the last time,” posted one of my Facebook friends. She is the parent of a high school senior like I am.
“Sniff!” she ended her post, adding the crying emoji.
Sniff? I thought.
Sniff!?!
I’m over here thinking “Woo hoo!”
Is there an emoji for a mom doing a happy dance?
That’s because I hate the lunch portal. It sends constant email reminders that my daughter’s account is low when I SWEAR I just put money in it. They also charge a pesky service fee to deposit money. Plus, there’s a password and login and website to remember, ya da ya da ya da.
Nope, as my youngest child’s high school days are winding down, I will NOT miss the lunch portal.
In fact, there are a few more things I won’t miss about these dwindling high school days. I want to focus on these relatable annoyances to keep me from bawling as my baby marches towards graduation.
The Emails
Oh, the emails. From the Superindentent. From the Principal. From the Assistant Principal. From the Dean of Students. From the counselors. From the teachers. From the PTO.
Emails about testing out. Emails about testing in. Emails about college fairs, fundraisers, standarized tests, buying a yearbook, and using the pick up/drop off loop correctly.
So. Many. Emails.
Yes, I realize our public school teachers and admins are heroes. But I bet Wonder Woman and Superman NEVER sent this many emails to the townsfolk they served.
The Yearbook
If you haven’t purchased a high school yearbook in a while, be thankful. These beauts are now pricey, with upcharges galore (Vinyl protector! Pens for autographs! Activity charms! Personalization! Senior ads!)
Oh, and none of the kids sign the yearbook anymore. So why did I dip into my retirement fund to buy one last September? And then open an eBay store to sell tchotchkes so I could afford a Senior ad for my darling daughter?
I’m kidding. Kinda.
And if the high school could stop sending me weekly email reminders to make sure I buy the yearbook, that would be swell.
The Standardized Tests
Another thing I won’t miss about high school are all those standardized tests.
Recently we got a half-dozen emails (no joke) about the upcoming standardized testing day this spring. The emails explained that Freshman go here and do this, Sophomores go here and do that, and then Juniors need go to sleep early, eat a nutritutious breakfast and brush their teeth to be ready and rarin’ to go for the SAT.
The emails also strongly encouraged Seniors to come to all their classes, even if they aren’t taking standardized tests. Please don’t skip, the emails implored, just because you don’t have any more standardized tests.
Note: the Seniors will all skip.
What I Will Miss
As my daughter prepares to graduate from high school, I will miss walking alongside her all these years as she came into her own. Watching her thrive, fail, learn, and grow into her future.
And I’ll miss the other parents who walked alongside us on this journey. From the moms I taught Sunday School with to those parents I sat next to in a freezing cold ice rink, and so on. These parents shared my time and my heart in this parenting journey.
I’ll see you guys at graduation.
If we worry that we’re going to get teary, then we can start complaining about the lunch portal!
At the risk of sounding like my grandparents, it was very different in my day. Yes, my two graduated over 10 years ago and I don’t remember any of this. I do remember being grateful I didn’t have to deal with the Math teacher who tried to teach me how to deal with money for the Easter fundraiser. She was talking gibberish. When other moms and I felt weepy, I’d mention her and we’d all chortle with relief. No more mystery finance meetings with the woman who should be teaching Math PhD candidates ….