Lydia’s summer vacation started today and I think it’s going to be as much a vacation for me as for her. I really need a couple of weeks of being able to sleep in before the baby is born!
There was no sleeping in this morning, as we had to be up bright and early for the end-of-school program, which started at 8:30. (Well, Lydia and I were up, at any rate … when I tried to roust Olof and Tage, the former rolled over and went back to sleep and the latter didn’t even stir.) End-of-school rites are a big deal here, unlike in the States. When I was in school we didn’t even have any sort of ceremony aside from high school graduation — we just got out of school a couple of hours early and that was that.
Here, the kids march from the school to the church (yes, the church), while parents stand outside and take pictures of their little darlings before everyone goes inside. Once inside, the principal and the priest give speeches and share anecdotes, and the various classes sing songs with summertime themes. This year there was also some hymn-singing, which I don’t remember from before, but maybe I’d just forgotten that bit.
Once all the church business is out of the way, everyone goes outside to the park next-door and the classes pose for pictures and say their goodbyes to teachers and friends. Then everyone disperses and it’s all over for another year.
LOL! My thoughts exactly! Most parents complain about school being out for the summer, but all I can think is, “hot damn I can sleep late!” Alex’s avslutning is next Wednesday, so I have just 3 more days of getting up early! 😉 Woo!
Pst…Lydia is the prettiest girl in her class! Seriously!
Lydia really looks lovley, but the picture puzzles me.
Is this the whole class, 13 kids? Are they all the same age? And what’s the story with long blue dress? Part of a school play?
Les, I didn’t get up until 11 this morning! 😀
Yep, Elisabeth, that’s her entire class — well, except for the one girl who’s already on vacation with her family in Iceland, so there are fourteen of them. They’ve all been together for three years now, and they’ll have one more year together (with the same teacher) before they’re put in different groups. They’re all the same age, more or less — born in 1996.
I don’t know what the deal was with the blue dress, but that little girl is always over-dressed. I feel a bit sorry for her, actually, because she’s always sitting on the sidelines, prim and proper and perfectly groomed, while the other kids run around and get messy. She’s a nice little girl, but she and her parents are way too concerned with keeping up appearances, in my opinion.
I think it looks like the girl in the blue dress is freezing.
Not to mention that her dress perhaps would have looked better on a 30-year old….