Now an Elementary Tradition

So when I was in elementary school back in the 60s (I think it was 1971 when I was in 6th grade... hell, I don't know, that was a long time ago) we had a class picture taken every year. Then when I got to middle school, that class photo was replaced with a photo collage with the school photo of each kid in the class. Both of those items were free.

We were first able to buy a yearbook our freshman year in high school. I believe it was 12 dollars. My senior yearbook was 18 and I thought THAT was a lot of money. It was a hard bound book and it's still on the bookshelves in the living room. There are doors covering those shelves, that may be why I don't see that book very often... but I digress. As usual.

So now they're doing yearbooks in elementary school.. they're cheap assed magazines, basically... for 20 dollars.

They were handed out this week, and the kids who didn't get them immediately became envious and started asking their parents, "Why didn't I get one?" when they came to pick them up.

Twenty.
Dollars.

They know what to do with them, too.
Take them to all their friends for autographs.

Except Emmie. Emmie autographed her own. She signed it from her grandpa. Her baby sister. Her mom. It's so funny to hear the things she comes up with.

She brought it to me.
Said,"I am in this book."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. This is the page I'm on."

She opened it to the Kindergarten page. Her last name is near the beginning of the alphabet, so she was in the first row... three kids. Two little boys and Emmie. "Bet you can't find me," she said challengingly.

I didn't have a lot of trouble finding her little smiling face.
"That's you in the striped shirt!"
She looked at me with exasperation.
"That's a dress," she said. And laughed, like I had done an idiotic thing.

She took the magazine to Alyssa.
She pointed at a photo of a random boy and said, "He goes to this school!"

I guess the 20 bucks is worth it, Emmie seems to be having a good time even if she's not entirely clear on the concept.

Lots of kids bring their yearbooks to me to sign. I always sign with something like 'you're awesome' or 'you're great' and my name and a smiley face.

I guess this means the school year is almost over.
::sigh::