Today was the last day of school. Parents were invited to the classroom to hear each child’s Birthday Verse as they received them, before the general assembly. Mr Wilt had them hand written and mounted on light weight photo board. Each specially written for the child. These are verses that the children will learn and then recite on the day of the week they were born on each week throughout the year next year. At the end of the year they will receive new Birthday Verses for the forthcoming year.

After that, I snuck in to Rose Kindergarten to see their puppet show and watch my friends there finish out their year. Some, like Logan’s friend Sandy will stay for a second year in Kindergarten, while others like Maisie and Rosemary will go on to first grade with the mother of one of Logan’s classmates as their teacher. I got to see the Star Of Gold ceremony again, and watch the new graders walk out, before going on to do other things before the assembly.

The assembly was long, although each class seemed to go briefly. I started out sitting with Maisie and Rosemary, who moved up to sit in the kindergarten section before it started. I kept forgetting that Logan wasn’t there with them! Instead younger brothers of another kindergarten to first grader sat between me and their mother so I had Ben and Austin, age three and about five, or six keeping me company. (Is it done yet? I like them! They’re good. What are they doing?) Both of them seem as light as dust, in fact every kindergarten boy I’ve met and lifted recently has been amazingly light. I suspect it must have something to do with lifting Logan’s sixty-plus pounds.

Logan’s class played two songs on their flutes after singing one. Logan was very pleased to have an open topped purse from Grandma Wilma that matched her dress because she carried two flutes over in it and four back. She has said she will use that method as long as the dress fits, for assemblies.

Once the assembly was over we collected Logan from her classroom. She arranged some of her paintings from the year, some of her writing and number books, her Spanish work book, her knitting and her flute case on her desk so that I could take pictures. She and Ariyanna were desk partners for the last couple months of the year. They sat together for the picture. I’ll post it once the access has been fixed (John has already emailed, I’ll add pictures as soon as I can). Ariyanna’s mother Karine will be teaching at a Waldorf school in Corvallas OR next year, so they will move somewhat north, and Logan and Ariyanna will miss each other, they have been close friends for the past three years.

After school I’d arranged an Allergy Families and Friends Potluck at a close by park. We had twenty-seven people there, from a crawling baby up to a grandmother. Only one item brought had cow’s milk, which was found in store bought hummus where no one had thought to look, and no one allergic to it had eaten. Allergies, or intollerances have brought quite a group of kids together on the playground through their thinking they were the only ones, and parents comparing notes. Some children have twenty or more foods they can not eat, although my list specifies yogurt, and cheese, and goat and sheep milk seperately because some like Logan can have goat milk but not cow milk. Others can not have cow milk, but are fine with cow milk yogurt where the proteins have been partially digested. Because it is interesting to see, I’m listing the foods below:

Almond; Banana; Barley; Butter; Cane Sugar; Cheese; Coconut; Cow Milk; Eggs; Filbert; Food Coloring; Gliodin, Wheat; Gluten, Wheat; Goat Milk; Grapefruit; Green Pepper; Kamut; Mango; Oat; Orange; Oyster; Peanuts; Peas; Pineapple; Preservatives; Rye; Sesame; Sheep Milk; Soy; Spelt; Squash; Sugar; Wheat, Whole; Yogurt; Zucchini

Trying to find store bought things, especially like cookies, without milk, eggs, wheat, soy or peas is tricky. There is one brand that actually is decent and made without those things. They also specify on the box no nuts, fish or shellfish. I’m pleased to know my cookies are free from shellfish. That’s one thing that could keep me awake at night, the fear of shellfish in my cookies!

We were successful in food that everyone could eat today. John and I even brought a Chocolate fondue with dark chocolate made with fructose, with strawberries and cherries and separate bananas that were put in a bowl with some of the chocolate spooned over them for the people who could eat them. I told Ben’s mother he wasn’t eating his because she was trying to give him something he was allergic to, and she had to double check before realizing that was the other son who was allergic to bananas. Oops. Usually only one of them is with her.

At the end we had tired sand covered children. At least three, mine included, had to strip and put on different clothing before getting in to the car, thanks to the great sand and water area. Bathrooms and sinks at that park would really be a handy addition. Of course children who didn’t take dust baths in sand like chickens would limit the need to change clothing. And before anyone thinking of Logan’s last day of school dress asks, she changed before the park too. Today was a three dress day.

I’m not able to post pictures yet, so I’ll put them on a USB drive and take them along to Portland tomorrow if I can’t manage it from home.  Saturday we go to the zoo while John’s at the annual coffee gathering, and then in amid all that he and Logan get to swim as much as Logan can possibly manage at the hotel pool.  Logan has her priorities.

Filed under: life, Logan's work, hallmarks, school