Senior things

 

If you haven't had the pleasure, let me be the first to reassure you that you will ABSOLUTELY not be able to ignore the fact that your child is a senior and will be graduating in the near future. Just this week, which is still many, many months from actual graduation, I have ordered a cap and gown, chosen and ordered a ridiculous package of senior pictures (that we had taken ala Olson Mills because his yearbook requires a certain pose/outfit and my son has no interest in multiple photo shoots), and started a payment plan on the senior night Disneyland trip. I didn't have a senior year and now I kind of wish I could tell my folks all the hassle I saved them. 

But this kid. I'm just so fucking proud of him. He really seems to have found his groove. A good friend told me that her goal was to transition from a manager to a consultant, and damned if she wasn't right. I fully feel like a consultant (and maybe angel investor) in this kid. He's managing dual enrollment, wrestling, an adorable girlfriend, and all the expectations we have as a nearly adult member of the house with such aplomb. He's cleaning up admin stuff from YEARS ago that will help him in the future, and doing it with absolutely no nagging from us. Suddenly he's a kid that has Plans A, B, and sometimes C.  I called his school the other day to excuse him early, and the woman who answered said, "Oh! I'm so glad you called. He came in the other day and he is just one of the sweetest, most polite students we've had here in a really long time." A stranger knocked on our door last weekend to tell us that Eli had driven by, seen her trying to move a couch, and stopped to help. And then refused when she tried to pay him. If that's not the most Eli thing ever, I don't know what is. 

I love the man he's growing into, and I love that he still calls me "Mama" and wants me to watch all of his matches (even if he insists on hugging me afterwards when he's gross.) I'm going to miss him so much when he doesn't live in my house.