Big days, part 2

Graduation already seems like a million years away. Three days later, my husband was already back at work juggling a Bar Preparation course with a Public Interest Law Internship. Life for us continued as normal, but not before we finished celebrating his major accomplishment.

Graduation was followed by a reception at the law school. The law school thoughtfully provided kosher food in a separate room for the handful of families requiring the accommodation. This was a relief in a couple of ways. We got to eat, after an exciting, but ultimately hectic morning, and it was away from the over-crowded chaos in the main atrium. We had room to relax and chat with the professors who strolled our way.

We dashed out of the reception after an hour of shmoozing, to prepare for Shabbat. We were spending Shabbat in my friend's empty house in Skokie so that the whole family could be together. I prepared the meals at my apartment, which we transferred over in a frenzy to have everything ready before sundown. Miraculously, we managed, only forgetting small things like matches and salt.

Once Shabbat was over, our attention went to the big graduation party. My parents took the kids to piano lessons, and then on a promised picnic to the beach, using my daughter's brand new birthday picnic basket. Meanwhile, my husband and I went into overdrive bringing over foods and beverages to the house, putting up streamers, and trying to get things "just so". It felt like a mammoth task, so much so, I had a hard time just relaxing and enjoying the party. Mostly, I made margaritas and took pictures.

What I did enjoy was seeing all the people who came out to celebrate with us. People from all walks of our Chicago life. Friends from synagogue,

friends from work,

family members,

and friends from law school,

all came to share our joy and eat my fudgy brownies. Towards the end, I finally collapsed on the borrowed futon and chatted with friends.

Somehow, we managed to make it through the weekend and get the kids off to school the next day. My husband, too, was back to school, preparing for his Bar exam. The only evidence that a party had occurred was the abundant leftovers and the exhaustion. It took me a week just to recover.

It's hard to believe a month has passed. While my husband's school year ended several weeks ago, he was right back at it days later, reading, underlining, outlining, sitting through, and occasionally sleeping through, one or two lectures. We also slipped right back into our routine, the kids and I just making it to the end of our school year.

Occasionally our daily doldrums were brightened by surprises. I was recently visited by an old fencing friend who was recently ordained a Catholic priest.

I don't know why, but that tickled me pink. I enjoyed chatting with him at length about his duties, the priesthood, and the state of the Catholic church. I fear I may have interrogated him a bit too much, but he was game. The kids enjoyed having a fresh face to regale with their silly stories and songs, now that all of the grandparents had returned home.

And once again we come to the end of another chapter. In a couple of days, the school year will end for us all. My son is going away to an overnight camp for the first time. Piles of his clothes cover the dining room table, waiting to be packed away. The girls have day camps of their own to enjoy, and I'm getting a real break from work. Only my husband is sweating out between the Bar exam and the PILI Fellowship.