the graduate

it's a wrap. n's high school career comes to a close, in the company of family from around the country.

it was an unusual journey. n started high school in 7th grade (as everyone does in montreal), so this was, as she reminded us, the end of six long years that spanned two nations and four schools, on opposite sides of the continent. and this last year didn't involve any classes at kentridge high school at all; she spent her entire senior year at bellevue college, allowing her to continue in french after she exhausted the offerings at the high school.

graduation day was gorgeous and sunny -- no small thing in mid-june here in the routinely overcast pnw. as requested by the high school administration, we (along with all in attendance) were careful not to celebrate disruptively during the graduation, so that everyone could enjoy that moment with their graduates, but it didn't keep me from screaming at the top of my lungs, "n, you rock!" i am undoubtedly the stereotypical embarrassing parent, but in this case, i think the final tally justifies my exuberance. n's entry in the graduation program was brief, but impressive: top 10% in scholastic achievement, phi theta kappa, presidential award for academic excellence, washington state honors award, rice university trustee merit scholarship. afterward, the whole entourage went to el incapaz for sopes and orchata, then to a big photo shoot.

since finishing finals, n has begun to turn her focus to the future, making the final preparations for the move to houston. along the way, she is managing to squeeze in some fun. most recently, she's been joining m and grandma p (and sometimes me), for a characteristically eclectic mix of watching world cup and movies, playing (and usually winning) a variety of board games (notably mexican train dominoes, bananagrams, big boggle, and rummikub), and studying new testament greek. they're also reading an ancient greek novel (in translation), just for the fun of it. i love this family!

it's probably natural for a father to feel proud of his daughter and to think that the sky is the limit for her, so in that regard, i'm probably not unusual. but she is, to plagiarize the now-famous words of uncle p, "an outstanding baby." can't wait to see what God will do next in her life!